


An Unending Brevity

by not_a_tuna_fish_ish



Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Angst, Comfort, Dreams, Drinking, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Fighting, Greek Mythology - Freeform, Hurt/Comfort, Literal Sleeping Together, M/M, Minor Injuries, Nightmares, Passing Out, Potions, References to Ancient Greek Religion & Lore, Requited Love, Sleeping Together, Unconsciousness, Undressing, Unrequited Love, Whiskey - Freeform, angst and hurt, battles, currently reading The Song of Achilles so this may or may not be partly inspired by that, like I mean they slept in the same bed, no beta we die like Wilbur lol, snow and cold, swords and weapons, the potions are a little Bit Minecraft-y but that's really the most Minecraft it gets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-17
Updated: 2021-02-10
Packaged: 2021-03-14 22:14:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 27,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28802640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/not_a_tuna_fish_ish/pseuds/not_a_tuna_fish_ish
Summary: Dream and Technoblade are desperate. They're probably going to lose this battle, and if they do it will end in their deaths.In a stroke of manic genius Technoblade suggests they take a love potion to give them an advantage in the fight. It would be like Achilles and Patroclus, he says. The greatest warriors of Ancient Greece, made stronger by their love for one another. And it won't last forever- only for a few hours.Dream reluctantly agrees.
Relationships: Clay | Dream/Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF)
Comments: 485
Kudos: 1522





	1. The Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoy this! leave a comment if you do :)
> 
> And let me know If there are any typos!!

_They would not win this battle,_ thought Dream.

It snowed fiercely at Technoblade’s cabin, in a frigid and powerful storm. The cold air gushing in from the North swept past the walls and every so often rattled the windows, the house hissing and creaking under the barrage of wind. It was freezing and in a few hours they would be outnumbered, swarmed, and defeated. They would be bodies in the snow. Technoblade and Dream sat side by side on the couch. Dream stared straight ahead with a stony expression, Technoblade looked down at his hands blankly. Neither moved. The sound of their breathing and small movements was covered up by the winds, making the pair seem eerily silent. The atmosphere was suffocatingly heavy. 

They sat like that for who knows how long. Finally, Technoblade abruptly stood. He walked over to a chest on the other side of his cabin, boots clicking authoritarian-like against the wood floor. Dream turned to look at him as he opened the lid of a case and started rummaging through it. 

“What are you doing?” Dream asked. 

“Getting potions. We need to prepare.” He pulled out a small vial of blue-ish green liquid and set it aside. 

Dream snorted bitterly at him. “Prepare?” His voice was incredulous. “Prepare for what? Death?” 

Techno glanced at him from over his shoulder. He put another vial to the side, filled with a bright golden liquid, and it rolled loudly before he stopped it with his hand. “Prepare for battle. Prepare for war. Get up,” he commanded. 

Dream didn’t move. “It’s hopeless, and you know it. We can’t win. We can’t run.” He watched Technoblade put aside more and more potions, reading the labels on some and just recognizing others by the way they looked. He took out golden apples, too, and weapons. Shimmering swords and tall bows came out of the chest only to be briefly examined and then tossed aside. Apparently none of them were good enough. 

“I wouldn’t run even if I could. This is my home. I’m gonna protect to the very end- i’ll die before I leave, you hear me? And besides, what kind of an attitude is that, coming from the great and mighty Dream? I thought you were a fearsome warrior.” The man stared searchingly at the chest. He spotted something, several smaller potions with pink glows stashed at the very bottom of the container. They were glinting lightly through spare clothes and blankets that Techno had wrapped them in. He reached into the chest and took one of them out, looking at it thoughtfully. The glass vial had a beautiful golden rim and an intricate crystalline pattern that made it look mystical. It was covered in dust, for it had never been taken out of that chest before. _These were a gift from a friend, I remember now. I would never brew something so frivolous myself,_ the man pondered, gazing into the beautiful and viscous substance inside. The coggs in his head were turning. 

The blond man stood abruptly. “I _am_ a fearsome warrior. I’m also not an idiot. We’re going to lose.” He punctuated each word in the last sentence, as if that would help get the idea into Techno’s head. 

Techno whirled around to look at him. He clutched the pink potion in his hands. He looked Dream in the eye. 

“Dream, have you ever heard of Achilles and Patrocles?” 

The blond man rolled his eyes. “Now?” he snapped. “You’re gonna do this now? This, this, preachy Greek mythology bullshit! You’re insufferable!” 

Technoblade’s gaze didn’t waver, nor did his face flinch. “I know,” he said, levelly. “That’s the problem.”

“What?” Dream’s voice dripped with anger and impatience. He took another step closer to the Blade. 

“I’m insufferable. You don’t have any reason to protect me or fight for me, and I don’t have any reason to fight for you. Because we don't like each other,” he deadpanned.

“Your point is?” the blond man demanded. 

“My point will become clear if you listen to me for a second.”

Dream did as he was asked, and quietly looked to the man to continue. 

“Achilles and Patrocles were famous Greek warriors. They also loved each other. They were inseparable and unstoppable. Fearsome fighters whose love made them stronger. Do you hear me Dream? Their love made them strong.”

Dream eyed the man uncertainty, his anger mostly faded now. The wind and snow battered against the side of the house, reminding the man of the urgency of his situation. “And?” 

“If we had a reason to fight for each other- a reason stronger even than our own wills to live- then we might have a chance. It’s the only thing that could give us enough advantage to win this battle. Like Achilles and Patrocles.”

“That’s ridiculous,” the blond man said, exasperated. 

Techno reached forward and took the other man’s arm in his hand. Dream flinched back awkwardly. 

“Think about it!” the pink-haired man implored. “If we loved one another like Achilles and Patrocles did, then we would have a better chance at winning, or at least _surviving_ this battle. Because we could fight for each other! If I was in danger then you would come save me. If you were at the sharp end of a sword then I would rush in to help you. We would help each other. We would be able to understand each other on the battlefield- we could be in perfect coordination and sync.”

“You’re insane,” said the blond man, twisting out of Techno’s grip. “This plan is insane. It would never work. I don’t love you.” 

“But you could!” 

Dream pulled his hand back to punch Techno in the face.

“Wait!” the man yelped, holding out the potion to the other man. 

Dream glared at it half-heartedly, fist still in the air. “What is that?” 

“It’s- please don’t hit me, I can’t afford to fight you right now, and neither can you,” said Techno. The other man dropped his fist. Relatively sure that he was not going to get punched, Techno continued. “It’s a love potion.”

“A love potion.” Dream’s tone was unreadable.

“It’s a love potion. It’s not permanent. It only lasts for like 20 hours or something. I would drink half of it, and you would drink the other half of it, and we would feel a fierce love for one another. We would want to protect each other. And help each other. And we wouldn’t want the other to be hurt.” Techno lowered the bottle carefully, holding it close to his chest. 

“You- you-” Dream sputtered, at a loss for words, probably still considering hitting Techno in the face. 

“It’s our only option,” the man interrupted. Dream’s fragmented noises stopped. “Our only option…” Techno continued, voice softer than before. “You were right Dream, although I didn’t want to say it to you. We don’t have enough armor or weapons or potions to fight the army of people heading our way. This is our only chance to win this battle. It’s all we got…”

They stood there for a while, not able to meet each other’s eyes. Finally, Dream spoke. 

“You drink first.” 

Techno didn’t hesitate, he took out two glass cups from his cupboard and popped open the lid of the vial. Carefully, he divided the shimmering pink liquid between the two glasses. It smelled of sweet flowers and fresh water. He raised his glass to his lips and sipped. 

Techno’s eyes dilated as the honey-like substance kissed his tongue and poured down his throat. He fought not to gasp or cough at the sensation. When his cup was empty, he placed it on the counter top upside-down and cleared his throat. 

“Now you,” he said to Dream, who was watching him intently. Boldly, the blond man reached over and took his glass, downing it the same way as Technoblade. _The effects do not happen immediately,_ the pink-haired man thought, _I know that. I know my potions, even the most frivolous and seemingly useless of them. I get how they work._

They spared each other a single look before both rushing to prepare for battle. They had no time to think about anything other than war. Technoblade climbed down to the basement and opened up a set of chests filled with extra, unused armor. Dream dug through the piles as he found pieces of armor that looked like they were sturdy and could fit him. He suited up quickly and carefully, tying the pieces of iron and gold around his body with their accompanying leather straps. He found no weapons in the chest and scaled the ladder back upstairs only to have Technoblade silently thrust a heavy sword into his hands. Examining it, Dream found that it was strong, well-made, and easy to weild. He recognized the weapon.

“Isn’t this yours?” the blond man asked. 

“You can use it. You’ll wield it better than I do,” Techno replied, absentmindedly sorting through more potions. 

“How do you know that?” Dream replied. Techno said nothing. _The potion is having an effect already. Normally he never would have trusted me with a weapon this powerful._

A blur of red and white coat swung around in a second and Techno was before him with arms full of vials of glittering liquid. He handed one to Dream and instructed him to drink. The blond boy did so without hesitation, as Techno handed him potion after potion of marigold and canary yellow and crimson. He guzzled each one, unable to revel in the taste or texture before he began drinking another. By the time he was done he felt as if the world were an ant beneath his boot. And he could crush it if he pleased. He felt like he could do anything. 

The blond man watched as Techno copied the order of potions that Dream had just drunk and unsteadily chugged them down. He was struggling to stay focused as he drank the potent stuff, swaying gently on his feet and trying not to cough or choke. Dream reached forward unthinkingly and put a hand on his shoulder. It was callused with the armor he wore underneath his clothes, so he put enough pressure that Techno could know he was there. The man steadied and looked uncertainly at the row of drinks on the counter. 

“This one next,” Dream said, pointing to a bright violet vial. Techno took it and drank it. 

“That was the last one,” said the pink-haired man in a hoarse voice. He took a deep breath and reoriented himself. Muffled by the frigid winds but still audible was the sound of footsteps coming from outside. Not just one pair, but several. Many. An army. The two men blanched as they realized they were out of time. Techno drew up his crossbow and his simple sword and Dream unsheathed his weapon as well. Before they went outside to brave the snow and enemies Techno reached into a cupboard and pulled out a small, unassuming apple, glistening with gold. He handed it to Dream. 

“Don’t you need it?” asked the man, uncertainly. 

“You’ll be on the ground more than I will.” He gestured to his crossbow. “Besides I don’t want you to be hurt.” 

They froze at the admission and shared a quiet look. “I don’t want you to be hurt either,” Dream admitted, softly. 

Techno grinned, but Dream figured he was putting more confidence into it than he actually had. “Good,” said the man, voice wavering a little, “Don’t let me.” 

The footsteps grew louder. Dream adjusted his mask as Technoblade put on his own. Then the blond man scarfed down the apple as quickly as he could. Strength coursed through his veins- a combination of all the potions, the apple, and his own adrenaline. He felt his weapon at his side and knew with certainty he could draw it and use it with all the speed and grace of the wind. The room around him became clearer, as did his thoughts. The thrum of his heart rattled his chest and the sound of his own breathing kept time to movements. He looked at Technoblade and his eyes glowed with passion and determination, and something else. 

They drew their swords and stepped outside. 

With their boots sunk deeply into the snow and their weapons drawn, Fundy’s army stood before them. 10 men, no 20 men, no- 40 men. NO! 50 men all in black armor charging towards Dream and Techno with their iron weapons raised. Techno raised his crossbow and with a sickening _woosh_ he started to take out the front line of soldiers. Dream charged forward, dodging and weaving as he fought brutally, ducking under flashes of strong metal that would have killed him had they met their mark. He heard Techno’s arrows whiz past his head and sink deeply into the bodies of their targets. The pink haired man had swiftly climbed up onto the roof of his wood cabin and was using the higher vantage point to shoot the enemies who were closest to Dream. With _thud_ ’s the men fell, one by one, either from Dream’s brutal sword slashes or from Techno’s precisely aimed arrows. Dream and Techno were fighting harder than any of them did- but there were so many of them. Blood stained the battlefield to the point where Techno couldn’t tell where it was coming from anymore. He aimed and shot, aimed and shot. Minutes passed of this type of fighting, until Techno noticed Dream’s technique start to get sloppy and his movements start to hesitate and slow. _No,_ he thought fearfully, _No, Dream, focus! Keep it together._ But it was no use, the god apple was starting to wear off. It wasn’t a change any of the soldiers noticed, but Techno did. He knew it was only a matter of time before Dream slipped up and a sword was plunged through his armor straight into his h-

Techno leapt to his feet. Although tactically his position on the roof offered him more, he couldn’t just sit there and watch Dream die. In any other battle he would have just told himself there was nothing he could do and kept shooting his arrows, until eventually whoever he was fighting with had weariness overtake them and they were greeted with the sharp end of an enemy’s weapon. But this was Dream! He couldn’t let him die. _I can’t let him die._ The desperate and entirely foreign thought rattled his skull, it’s cry echoing and filling the caverns of his whole brain. _It’s the potion making me this way,_ he knew. But he didn’t care. 

He leapt down from the roof of the building and into the thick of the battle. 

“Techno!” Dream called instinctively. In the corner of his eye he had seen the other man jump down from the roof and unsheathe his sword. 

“Dream!” His voice was wet and rocky, a pained shout. It sounded like waves in a violent storm crashing down on a cliff jagged shore.

Two men approached him, swinging their weapons down at his chest. Their swords collided with the chestplate underneath and did nothing other than wind the man, who recoiled slightly. Then Technoblade raised his weapon and slit both their throats with a single swing. He ran forward to Dream and angrily slaughtered the man who was attacking them. Then he stepped around Dream to defend his back. 

It had been a long time since Techno last swordfought. For hunting he always uses his crossbow- it’s just a more efficient way to hunt. And whenever he’s called to fight in a war or defend somebody or something, he usually uses his crossbow, for tactical purposes. So he was very out of practice. This is something he had not considered when he jumped down off that roof. But, truthfully, even if he had he considered that he probably still would have done it. 

Dream was grateful to have the backup. More than grateful. Having somebody on the ground next to him, watching his back, made the fighting a lot easier. He noticed that there were far fewer soldiers around him than there used to be- many of them were dead, but many had also just retreated into the surrounding forests. _They’re running. They’re running from me. From US._ The thought filled him with confidence and renewed hope. _We can do this, we can beat them. I can’t believe it._

Behind him, Technoblade let out a cry of pain. Dream spun around just in time to block a strike that would’ve come down right on Technoblade’s neck. The movement was expensive, however, as it left Dream’s back exposed. Normally he never would have made a move like that, but the potion…

A force unknown to him in such an intensity tore through him and he drove his sword forward. It glinted in the light that reflected off the snow as it dove into the armor of his enemy, between the ribs of the man, straight through his heart. He made the motion with such brutality and strength that it startled him. He drew the sword back out firmly. 

The pink haired man underneath him fought to stand, having buckled to his knees. A red gash ran down the side of his calf and blood seeped out of it alarmingly quick. Dream helped him up. 

They looked around. When Fundy’s soldiers had seen Dream cut through that man’s armor, the remaining of them turned and ran. There was nobody still there. 

Except Dream and Technoblade. 

Red horrors stained the snow all around them. The wind, which had been blowing so fiercely before and during the battle, now finally started to slow. Dream stared at the bloodshed for a moment, before he heard Techno’s arm move and felt his hand on his jaw. Techno gently but firmly turned Dream’s head toward him. If not for the masks their eyes would have met. 

“Don’t look at them…” the man almost whispered. Dream heart pounded. His adrenaline was still high and everything felt so intense. 

If not for the masks they wouldn’t have been able to resist. 

Dream calmly grabbed Techno’s arm and slowly pulled his hand away from his face. 

“Technoblade,” Dream said. 

“Yes?” 

Dream was _sure_ that in that moment he could've asked for the world and Techno would have found a way to give it to him. Instead he asked, “Are you injured?” 

Techno looked down at himself, seeming to snap out of his little trance. He examined his arms and torso and his coat, and worked his way down his body. He winced when he saw the cut running down the side of his leg. “A little bit. You?”

Dream checked himself as well. “No.” Of course there were scratches and bruises and a lot of ache and pain, but nothing fatal.

“Good. In that case, we should get out of here. Fundy’s going to send people to come and collect the bodies.” He said the last part weakly. “I have a cave not far South of here,” he pointed in a direction, “It’s got some supplies and basic things like that. We can camp out there until tomorrow.” 

“But, can you walk? Your leg is injured.” 

“I’ll manage. Fundy’s people will be here soon. I don’t wanna be here when they are- what if there’s more soldiers? We have to go.”

Dream pictured Fundy’s hurt and broken face staring down at him, surrounded by soldiers. He could imagine him, in pain and grief, giving the sharp order to ‘kill those men!’ as he and Techno were forced to fight another battle that could only end in more loss. He shook off the thought. 

“Alright,” he agreed, and he tucked his shoulder underneath Techno’s arm, supporting him. He could feel the warmth of their bodies, sweaty and hot from the exertion of the battle, sharply contrasted by the cold metal of their armor. Techno grunted in effort as he limped forward, Dream practically dragging him along. They had to move slowly because of Techno’s leg and that fact gave them both a lot of anxiety. They would not be able to win another fight in this state, should they be found by Fundy or his soldiers. Techno winced in pain as he tried and failed to pick up the speed. 

They were in a forest, now. It was dense with underbrush and hard to navigate through. Of course, Techno knew the way, having been through this particular forest at least a thousand times. _Not to mention he was just good with navigation in general,_ thought Dream fondly. The leather straps of his armor chafed his neck and shoulders and he struggled to move forward with Techno. But what would have been a bothersome and even painful sensation was pushed to the back of his mind as he focused on Techno’s pain instead of his own. With every small noise of discomfort or agony Techno made Dream’s heart spiked with empathy and his face scowled. It was like the suffering were his own, that’s how intensely he could feel it. The sensation scared him a little bit. _That potion was so powerful. I’ve never felt a love like this before._

Halfway to the cave, Techno needed to take a break. His breath heaved as he half sat, half crumpled to the floor. Dream looked down at him with concern. The man’s face was pale and twisted in discomfort, and he cradled his leg close to him. The wound had not stopped bleeding although it had definitely slowed down. Dream knelt beside the man and touched his leg. 

Techno flinched instinctively, fighting the urge to reach out and coddle the injury. Dream looked up at him from behind the mask. 

“I just wanna take a look. I’m not gonna hurt you.”

Techno stared back unmovingly. “I know you won't.” 

Finding this a good enough confirmation, Dream lifted the leg slightly. The gash was on the back of the calf, distorted behind layers of clothing that were soaked through with the man’s blood. What skin he could see was a sickly green and yellow color. He paled at the sight. 

Techno could sense his reaction even though he couldn’t see his face. “Leave me here,” he said. 

“What?” Dream’s head snapped up. “What? No way.” 

“You have to, Dream, otherwise you won’t make it to the cave in time. I’ll be okay! I’ll get up and follow you in a few hours, after I’ve had some rest. The cave is half a mile that way.” He pointed between a dense part of trees. “If you go now you can reach it before nightfall.” 

Dream sputtered. “I’m not gonna leave you!” he insisted. 

“Geez, I said I’ll be okay! And to think just this morning you were about to punch me in the face.” Techno said the last part with a lighthearted snort. “And now you won’t even leave me for a few hours.”

Dream’s tone fell stern. “You’re not gonna fool me, Techno. You won’t be okay if I leave you out here. And even if you would be, I’m still not gonna ditch you. We’ll go there together.” 

Techno mumbled his response, blinking slowly and heavily. “M’kay. Whatever you say. Just give me five minutes…” his eyes fluttered closed. 

“Techno? TECHNO!” 

Techno’s eyes snapped open, but his speech was still slurred. “Hmm? Whaa?”

“You can’t fall asleep! You’re passing out- it’s from the blood loss. C’mon.” In one motion Dream reached down and tried to pick the man up. He strained a little under the weight, though, and realized he would not be able to carry him for half a mile like this. He huffed and put the man back down.

“C’mon, c’mon Techno,” He mumbled to himself as he unclasped Techno’s cape and then fumbled with the buttons of his shirt. 

“What are you doin’?” asked Techno, looking down sleepily at where Dream’s deft fingers were undressing him. He reached up and touched the hands, wistfully caressing them. 

“You gotta get out of that armor. It’s too heavy for me to carry,” Dream responded. He finished with the buttons and pulled off the dress shirt, watching as the fabric got caught on Techno’s wrists and shoulder, before the other man hazily wiggled out of it. His chest was covered by a plate of armor, sturdy yet breathable. Techno wore it almost all the time.

Dream knelt over him and began untying the leather straps that held the armor on his body. He could feel Techno’s skin pressed against his own as he reached behind him to undo the tie at the base of his neck. Techno shivered and Dream wrote it off as from the blood loss. Tender hands worked at the knot for a minute before it finally came loose and Techno’s armor slid forward off his chest. Pale yet taut muscles greeted Dream’s eyes, and he tried not to look too hard. There was one more knot, at the small of the man’s back. Dream reached down and around the man’s waist, hands accidentally brushing against his torso, and found the knot. The leather clung to itself, making the thick straps more complicated and difficult than would have been necessary. The blond man’s brow furrowed in concentration as he picked and pulled. Techno leaned forward into his arms to give him better access. They held that position, Techno tucked into Dream’s embrace as Dream’s arms were wrapped around the other man’s waist, for a few minutes. Their breathing was the only sound. 

Techno felt the heavy armor loosen as Dream finally got the knot undone. The pink haired man moved the chestplate to the side and started to put his shirt back on, Dream helping him. After Techno was dressed the man tried to pick him up once more, finding it much easier. He stumbled a little as he got to his feet and looked down at the man in his arms. He was sleeping again, eyes fluttering and expression tense. The man let out a pained moan. 

Dream hurriedly made his way through the forest. The floor of the forest was covered in healthy soil, that was home to lots of sprawling green moss. The moss was slippery, though, and the man had to watch his footing very carefully, otherwise he’d go tumbling to the floor with Techno in his arms. He was always grateful when the mud and moss would let up, giving way to patches of tall grass or flowers. They brushed against his lower legs and ankles and he maneuvered through the underbrush. As the hours passed, he saw a particular kind of sunlight streaming in through the leaves of the tall and dense trees. It was orange like the coat of a tiger and yellow like the sweet shade of a dandelion. He knew it to be the afternoon sun. In a few hours, night would fall, and the two of them would be lost in an unknown and dangerous forest. But Dream could hardly think of his own peril. As he looked down at the discontendly sleeping face of his companion, a surge of devotion and affection flooded through him like a tide. Technoblade might not survive the night out here, he needed to get somewhere warm and safe. He needed to be given proper medical attention for his leg and rest so he could recover. Dream _needed_ to get him to safety. He picked up the pace. 

The cave was further away than just half a mile, Techno had gotten that detail wrong. But Dream knew that he had gotten the location right when the crests of a set of mountains emerged in the distance. The caves must be there. 

The sun slipped down over the side of the earth and night swarmed Dream and Techno just as they approached a clearing.  
A grassy field laid out before them, illuminated by the moon, which hung high and brightly in the sky. Much of it was wild growing wheat; Techno must have planted it a long time ago and then forgot about it. Dream saw the entrance to a cave on the other side of the yellowed field and audibly gasped with relief. He tried to tell Techno that they were there, to wake him up, but the man was stone-cold unconscious and heard nothing. It made Dream’s heart sink, and within a moment he was in the cave. 

The entrance was tall and grand, covered by a thick rug instead of a door. Dream awkwardly pushed it aside and spotted a cot in the center of the room. He rushed forward and gently laid Techno on it, who did not stir. Then with what little moonlight seeped into the cave he saw a lamp on a table and lit it. A dim yellow glow filled the cave.

Walls of stone and a high ceiling enclosed the little area. There was a small table made out of sleekly carved wood, where the lamp was resting. There was the cot in the center of the room where Techno lay. Along a side wall were several chests. Dream hurried over to them and started opening them, one by one, and digging through their contents. He frantically tossed aside everything that wasn’t the one thing he had in mind- a healing potion. In the last chest he checked- _Of course it was the LAST,_ he thought to himself cynically- he found the potions. He recognized the healing one for its warm, blood-red glow and he snatched it up happily before spinning around to where Techno lay on the cot. 

“Techno.” He gently slapped the man’s cheek several times. “Techno. Techno wake up. Sit up.” Techno grumbled and didn’t move. Dream hoisted the man up into a sitting position. “Techno. Techno,” he spoke into the man’s ear. Finally, Techno stirred, eyes barely opening. Dream wasted no time in uncorking the potion and pressing it to the man’s lips. The pink-haired man’s eyes widened slightly in surprise and he lifted a hand to support the drink. He must have recognized the taste and knew what it was, because he drank it carefully and completely. In a hoarse voice, he asked Dream for some water. 

“Yeah, of course,” the blond man went back to the chests and looked around, then he pulled out several canteeines that he figured must have been filled with water. He took a sip of one first, just to make sure, before handing it to Techno. The man drank thirstily before setting the canteen aside and falling asleep again. Dream watched him. 

_The healing potion will have its affect soon. Those work almost instantly,_ he thought, as he sat next to Techno’s sleeping form. He inspected the injured leg from a distance and noticed that already it was looking better. The flesh around the wound was no longer a sickly green and the bleeding had staunched. Techno’s whole pant leg was soaked through with blood, and more trickled down into his boot. It looked disgusting to Dream, and his heart plummeted when he thought about how much pain his companion must have been in. The reaction surprised him, never having been one to hate gore or pain as much as some people feared it. He brushed the thought away and then removed Techno’s boots and blood-stained sock. He took off the man’s mask, too, figuring he would not mind and it would be much more comfortable that way. His cape had been abandoned at some point in the forest, when Dream unclasped it from his collar and cast it aside, trying to get rid of any extra weight. The man seemed to shiver a little without it- rightfully so, the cave was still cold even though the storm had let up a little. Dream found several blankets in the chests and covered Techno with them.

Techno’s face relaxed for the first time that whole day. The healing potion was working its magic and in a few hours the man would be back to normal. Dream tiredly sighed. 

He wanted to lay down next to Techno and sink into a deep sleep. He was exhausted and cold. Gingerly, he took off his mask, boots, and armor, and then he drank thirstily from the rest of the canteen. Cool water ran down his throat and soothed him. After making sure that the rug covering the entrance of the cave was secure and extinguishing the lamp, he laid down beside Techno on the cot. The blankets were made out of coarse wool but they were very warm and Dream nestled himself into them contentedly. He was asleep in a moment.

Dream woke up in an hour and his throat burned from the cold air. He coughed scratchily and shivered. The room was pitch dark and the night was very quiet, with the only points of reference being the navy blue sky that peered down at him from behind the edges of the rug and the sound of an owl’s cry in the distance. And of course, the sleeping figure of Technoblade lying next to him. 

He turned to look at the man. His eyes were closed, and even in the low light Dream could see several strands of beautiful hair coming down to frame his face. The softness of the moment made him feel safe and free. Slowly, cautiously, Dream lifted part of the blanket he was tucked under and crept closer to Technoblade. He moved away the folds of fabric that were separating them as silently as possible until there was nothing between them but the air. He recovered both of them in the blankets and adjusted them, then he got even closer to Techno, until their bodies were only a few inches away from contact. Body heat radiated off of the other man and made Dream’s breath hitch as he stared at the other figure. Cautiously, he pressed a leg to the other man’s thigh. 

Techno opened his eyes. 

The whole earth seemed to still. No thoughts could hurt them, here in the darkness. The place seemed to exist apart from the world, outside of logic and fear. There was only a raw and heavy emotion that they didn’t question. It’s origins they did not care about. There was only them. 

Techno moved forward and his mouth collided with Dream’s in a wet, hot feeling. Dream felt his face and mouth burn as his hands flew up to grab what he could. Fingers fell through thick locks of hair and palms touched blushing faces in joy and relief. Noises formed and cut away, small sounds that used to be so unknown between them. They touched each and every part of the other’s body, letting hands and wrists slide over firm muscle and skin both smooth or scarred. Tongues and eyes rolled in thick pleasure. Dream sought the sensitive or supple parts of the man and mercilessly attacked them with sucking and kisses. Techno touched between Dream’s thighs and weakened him with strokes that wrecked with their bliss. Moans and gasps echoed into the cave. Touches were returned and amplified as they sought out the other’s euphoria as much as they sought out their own. Cries peaked and bodies tensed. A fire in two stomachs burned. They collapsed onto one another. It was warm and then wet. 

Their breathing steadied. 

The night was quiet again.


	2. Daisies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone :) I hope you're enjoying the story so far!!

The night was gone. The potion was out of their systems.

Morning seeped into the little room, light cresting the edge of the doorway and spilling through the rug hung up on the wall, illuminating it. In the faint glow Dream could make out that the tapestry had an illustration on it. Two men stood beside each other, one man looking at the other. One had an iron-tipped spear and the other had a simple wooden washbasin. The man with the spear was focusing his attention on the snakes and demons that crawled beneath their feet. The other man, holding the washbasin in his arms, seemed unbothered by the creatures below him. His face was not scowling with battle, but rather was light and satisfied. He looked at the man beside him with a careful and concentrated expression. 

Dream looked at the tapestry until he felt the bed shift. Techno was sitting up now, looking much better than before. The man stretched his arms above his head and yawned, taking a deep breath of the fresh morning air. It was warmer today than it was yesterday, although still a little cold. Much of the snow had melted and the winds had died down, too. Techno looked beside him and froze when he caught Dream’s eyes peering back at him.

The pink-haired man grumbled: “Good mornin’.”

“Good morning,” Dream replied simply. “How’s your leg?”

Techno looked down at himself and found his pants were still unbuttoned and his shirt disheveled. He embarrassedly tried to sort himself out. “I’m, uh, I’m okay. The healing potion did it’s work.” He said, face red and voice low. Buttons were reclasped and shirt collars refolded. His hands were sticky as he pulled back the covers to see his wound. It was almost completely healed, the bleeding stopped, the skin uninfected and healthy. 

Dream, underneath the covers, awkwardly tried to do the same as Techno. He was in a worse place, with his shirt flung across the room and his underwear halfway down his leg. He dressed as quick as he could, Techno looking away. 

Dream sat up as Techno stood. “Could you get me my shirt, please?” the blond man asked, referring to the garment on the floor. 

Techno snorted and brushed himself off. “Get it yourself.” 

Dream’s face lit up red in anger. He stood, no longer shy or polite. He marched over to the shirt and threw it over his head, then started putting on his hoodie. “Ya’ know, it’s the least you could do to be nice to me. I saved your life.” 

Techno spun around, eyes flashing with sudden emotion. “You saved me?” His voice was angry, derisive. “You _saved_ me? You did nothing of the sort. The potion saved me, you were just a vessel for it.” 

Dream turned to him, eyes cold. He put on his mask, which was lying on the table. _I don’t care if Techno saw my face,_ he thought to himself. _That bastard means nothing to me._ In any case, the light in the room was too little to see anything properly- it offered at least a partial coverage. He adjusted his mask, comforted by the familiarity of the object.

Techno was not satisfied with Dream’s silence. “You listen here,” he began, voice gruff and unfriendly. “You did not save my life.” 

“Why does it matter?” 

“Because! You can’t hold that against me. You can’t say, ‘Techno, you owe me one, I saved your life.’ Because you didn’t- you got it?”

Dream chest flared with bitter annoyance. He rolled his eyes, even though Techno couldn’t see it. “Yeah, whatever man.”

“Good. We’re agreed.” Techno finished getting situated then threw open the rug. Bright light flooded the room as he pinned it to the side. Dream squinted in the light as Techno began tidying up the place a little. The blond man laughed at the sudden domesticity of the sight. 

Techno, kneeling by an open chest: “What?”

A smile peppered Dream’s voice. “What a cute little housewife you would make.” 

“Shut up. I don’t come here that often, and if I leave everything open then racoons will get in and wreck things.” He neatly folded the blankets and returned them to their places. Then he closed the canteen and put it back, as well. Dream’s smile grew.

Techno glanced up at the man standing in the doorway. “You know the mask doesn’t cover the mouth, right? I can see you grinning over there like a damn hyena.” 

The blond man’s smile didn’t waver. “Ohhh really? I had no idea.” 

“You are insufferable,” he deadpanned.

Dream snickered once more and then knelt beside Techno to help him- a sort of olive branch. Techno saw it for what it was and allowed him to neatly return a few items. Besides, most of the mess was Dream’s, created when he was rummaging through the chests looking for potions. 

They left the cave and stepped out onto the snowy ground. Technoblade took a sharp breath and then started walking back through the forest. The blond man followed him a few feet behind. 

Without turning around, Techno said, “I assume you're going to be joining me back at my home?” 

“I have nowhere else to go.”

“Well,” said Techno. “Neither do I- I suppose.” 

They walked in silence a little further. “Do you think Fundy is going to come for us again?” Dream asked.

A pause, as Techno carefully stepped over some overgrown roots. “No, I don’t think so. Not after yesterday.” 

_Yeah,_ thought Dream. _It was a big loss for Fundy. A lot of bloodshed with nothing to show for it._ “I guess we proved we’re not a force to be reckoned with.”

“Yeah, we did.” His voice softened. “We fought good together.” 

“We did. It was the potion. You were right- I didn’t wanna see you hurt, and I made bold moves. But those bold moves ended up being the right ones.”

“Woah what?” Techno said, stopping abruptly. Dream collided into his back with an _oof._ Pink hair brushed past Dream’s face as Techno turned around, meeting him with a big grin. “What did you say? ‘You were right?’ Hey, can I hear that one again?” 

Dream shoved him away. “Oh, fuck off.” 

Techno laughed. “Wow I can't believe the great and mighty Dream finally admitted that I am superior to him.”

“That isn’t what happened at all! I didn’t say that at all!” 

“You practically did.”

“I did not!” 

Techno chuckled to himself and continued moving. Dream followed him, murmuring angrily.

“What was that?” Techno called over his shoulder. 

The blond man chose peace. “Nothing.” 

Dream couldn’t see it, but Techno was smiling. 

They walked for several hours. As the day went on, the snow started to melt out from underneath them- and the ground became soft soil and mud. The leaves of the trees prickled with a newfound green, happily exposed to the warm sunlight. Dream even noticed tiny yellow flowers at the base of the sycamores, bursting out from their cages of frost. He admired them distantly. 

“Those are daisies,” said Techno.

“I- I know what they are!” said Dream, although he didn’t. Then, more pensively, “Do you think it means spring will come soon?”

Techno considered the question. “I don’t know. It’s supposed to be another half-month or something, but maybe it came early this year. Or maybe it’s just an unusually nice winter’s day.”

“Oh. I guess I don’t really mind either way.”

“I mind,” said the man, ducking under a low-hanging branch of a fir. Dream copied the motion. 

“Oh?” said Dream, intrigued. “Why’s that?”

“Well, whenever we get a particularly warm day in the middle of winter all the frost melts off the flowers. And then it gets cold again, and the flowers don’t have enough protection, and they freeze and die. So when the spring finally comes it’s less beautiful than it would be.”

“I see. So you’re hoping that spring came early this year. Otherwise all the flowers will die.” 

“Y- yeah. Not that I care that much about the flowers, I mean, they’re just flowers. But, ya know, they’re nice.”

Dream, engrossed in the other man’s words, slid and nearly fell on a patch of ice. He stumbled a little then righted himself on the trunk of a sycamore. “Aw man. I was about to tease you for being a big softie, but now I can’t.” 

“Ah yes, the price of making a fool of yourself by almost falling on your face.” 

“Hey! I wouldn’t have fallen on my face. I would have fallen on my _butt._ ” 

Techno chuckled a little, surprising himself. Their conversation was almost… friendly. At what point in the journey did their interactions lose their malice? It confused the man, but he welcomed the shift in tone. After all, there's a chance they could be living together for quite a while (that is, until Techno decides to kick the other man out), so it might be beneficial to be civil. At _least_ civil. 

Up ahead in the forest he noticed something red, tucked under a patch of half-melted snow. He stopped suddenly, his first thought that it was blood, but exhaled in relief when he realized it was not. The man approached the object and picked it up- dripping wet and covered in mud (and a little bit of blood, too). He tried to wring it out.

“What’s that?” Dream asked over his shoulder. “Oh! Your cloak!” 

“Yeah, it’s my cloak. I don’t know if it’ll ever be the same, though.” He gazed at the mud covered fabric, once soft and luxurious, probably now rough and weathered. 

“Ehh, it might be. We can wash it and let it dry. It’s worth a try.” 

“Yeah, I guess so.” Techno continued to wring out the cloth. Water slipped between his fingers and dripped on the mud-covered ground. Dream took the opportunity to lean against a tall fir tree and take a break. The blond man whistled absently to himself, an uncoordinated and unpracticed tune. 

Techno, watching the water run over his callused and red hands- they were red from the cold- realized something. “Hey Dream?” he asked. 

The whistling stopped. “Yeah?” 

“Didn’t you take off my cape when you started to carry me?” 

“I did.” 

“We- were almost back home…” his voice faltered uncertainty. “Did you carry me the whole way?” 

“Well, not the _whole_ way. I would say I carried you for about half of it. Plus- I had to. You were in a bad shape, especially towards the end of the journey. You couldn’t walk.” 

Techno paused, the sound of water dripping to the ground filling the silence. He glanced up at the blond man, both of them behind masks. “Thank you,” he said simply. 

“W- well, don’t thank me.” Dream mumbled. “Like you said, it was the potion.” 

“Right.” 

“Right. Now hurry up with that stupid coat! You aren’t gonna get any more water out of it.” 

The pink haired man looked down at the fabric that his hands had continued to squeeze and pull at, even though water had stopped dripping from it. He flung the coat over his shoulder. Wordlessly the pair continued on.

\---

Techno’s cabin finally came into view. The two of them surveyed the land around it, finding none of the bodies from the previous day. Fundy must have sent people to come collect them. However, the snowy mud still tinged red in some places- a morbid memory of a morbid day. Dream squeezed his eyes shut at the subtle reminder of the bloodshed and chaos.

Pictures flashed behind his closed eyes. He plunged his sword into the side of a man- between his plates of armor. It slid into his body with a sickening squelch and his sword caught on a rib when he pulled it back out. Crimson stained his hands and his head…

He swayed in the winter breeze, the air crisp and grounding. He took a deep breath and felt the cool air cleanse his lungs. The blond man opened his eyes and looked down at his hands. There was no blood on them right now.

Techno was looking at him from over his shoulder. “You good?” 

Dream nodded and stepped forward to stand by his side. Instinctively, he reached up to his face and pulled off his mask. The blond man’s eyes were wide and compassionate- an expression Techno had only seen once before, in the fractions of moonlight that snuck in between wool blankets. 

In an act of solidarity, Techno reached up and undid his mask, too. Dream had already seen his face plenty of times- he didn’t wear the disguise half as religiously as the other man did- but it was the gesture that mattered. They would no longer hide from one another. They had seen each other, anyways. _Truely, we have seen each other,_ thought Techno. He remembered plunging a sword into the soft flesh of a man’s neck, an innocent man, who had done nothing other than be on the wrong side of a battle and a potion. And he watched arrows fly from his hand like doves, to meet their mark and let their targets know nothing but peace, as they fell to the ground in an eternal quiet. And he remembered his mouth on a curved shoulder, unfamiliar noises from a familiar voice, lines that drew down his back intersected with scars and jutting bone. Jutting bone… a body… a falling body… white bone…

“Are _you_ good?” Dream asked, although he could tell by the other man’s face that he wasn’t. 

“I… I am. I am.” Although it sounded more like he was trying to reassure himself than to reassure Dream. 

Dream sighed. Techno peered into a pair of juniper green eyes, speckled with chocolate and gold that formed a simple yet elegant mosaic. He thought that they were a pair of eyes that did not suit the man who bore them. Too lovely, for the sea of troubles and fear that must lay under them. And they were beautiful. To complete them, a handful of freckles were sprinkled on his cheeks, and two more down on his chin. The bottom two he had seen before, but not the rest. 

“C’mon. Let’s go inside,” Techno said, tearing his gaze away from the other man’s face. He did not want to scare him by looking too hard. 

“Yeah. I’m gonna sleep, I’m exhausted.”

“I have a spare bedroom. And clothes that you can wear.”

“How accommodating. Are you _sure_ you’re not a housewife?”

“Oh! Keep that joke up, see what happens.”

Dream snorted, some of the weight lifted from under his eyes. Techno couldn’t help but feel proud. It was not often Dream laughed with him instead of laughing _at_ him. 

They went inside Techno’s cabin. It was as he remembered it, tall ceilings held up by long wooden beams, spruce and cedar furnishings and walls. Clay plates and mugs, some of them gifts, others were Techno’s poor attempts at pottery. The curtains that gracefully covered the large glass windows were blue- in memory of a fallen brother. There was a fireplace and a chair, a couch, a rug. From where Dream was standing he could see the door to Techno’s bedroom and to the spare bedroom, and the wide-open entrance that he knew led to a kitchen. There was a basement, too, but Dream had never been there. The whole place felt warm, perhaps Techno built it that way on purpose. 

Both men were suddenly concerned only with a warm meal and a good sleep. There was food at the cave, but it was minimal- granola bars and other preservable things. Dream had scooped up a good handful of them and eaten them on the way over (maybe giving one or two to Technoblade, who had forgotten to grab some in his haste), but he was still starving. 

“I’ll make noodles,” Techno said, and he walked into the kitchen. 

Dream didn’t respond, just went into the spare bedroom. He took off his boots and socks and his armor. He had worn the armor on the walk back simply because there was no easy way to carry it, but it was heavy and he found himself wishing he had just left it at the cave. That would’ve been foolish, though, because what if Fundy’s soldiers came back? Then he would have been unprotected. 

In any case, he was glad to have it off of him. He heaved a sigh of relief and rested his hands against the smoothed wood on a dresser. The surface was cool, and he found himself leaning his forehead against it, shutting his eyes momentarily. He opened them when he smelled something sharp and metallic. His hands, now close to his face, were still covered in cracked, brown, dried blood. It might have been Techno’s, it might have been a soldier’s. 

Dream pulled his head away from the dresser, slowly, eyeing his hands as if they were a wild animal- unpredictable, untameable. He did not take his gaze away from them. He felt disgusted. His eyes showed nothing.

The man walked over to the bathroom and turned on the faucet fully. Water gushed from the nozzle as he thrust his hands into the sink, watching as the pressure and movement of the flowing water chipped at the mud and life crusted onto him. Little pieces dislodged themselves from the crevices of his palms and disappeared down the drain. He scrubbed to remove what laid in the divots of his knuckles and under his fingernails. Brown faded to red as the water rehydrated the lifeless cells. Dream stood there, listening to the sound of the running water, long after his hands were clean. 

He cupped his hands and leaned down, then splashed water on his face. Then dried himself off with a towel. A salty and delicious smell drifted down the hall through his open door that made his mouth water. Tossing the towel to the side, barefoot and famished, he ducked under a doorway and walked into the kitchen. 

Techno had taken his armor and boots off as well, and their weapons were leaning by the door. He stood in the kitchen stirring something in a big clay pot. The aroma was wonderful as Dream took a seat at the kitchen counter, while Techno took out two bowls and placed in front of him with gentle _clinks._

Dream watched as the man cut up a set of chives, the familiar sound of a knife on a cutting board giving the man comfort. It reminded him of Philza- who so loved to cook. He bet Techno learned this recipe from him. He could finally pinpoint where the sizzling noise he heard was coming from, as Techno opened a lid and flipped two pork chops before turning and tending to some boiling eggs. The sight of his partner in battle doing something so calm and simple allowed Dream to relax a little. 

He must’ve dozed off there in the dim light of the cabin, because the next thing he remembered was a bowl being placed in front of him, filled with steaming-hot ramen. Techno also placed down two cups of water before taking a seat next to the other man.

They ate and drank in peace. _It’s delicious,_ is all Dream could think, as he contentedly slurped down noodles and broth. 

“I can’t believe you eat like that,” Techno said once, towards the end of the meal. “Didn’t your mother teach you any manners?” The words were an insult, but there was no malice in his voice- which Dream noted in the back of his mind. 

Dream looked over his shoulder at the living room. The mess that they made when they left the house was still there, with weapons and potions strewn about. _Potions,_ Dream thought, suddenly focused. He looked at the glass bottles as inconspicuously as possible, scanning and searching through the them with sharp green eyes. 

“Hey,” he began, casually. Techno seemed absorbed in his meal. “You got a lot of potions around here?”

“What?” He said, distracted. “Oh, um, yeah. I brew a lot- they’re kind of my passion.” The man took another bite of a porkchop he was holding. A bead of juice slid out of his mouth and rolled down his chin, down his jawbone. Dream looked away.

“That’s interesting.” He continued eating.

\---

Night fell on the cabin. The baby blue sky fell into a deep navy, with a color like an apricot sitting on the horizon where the sun once was. Strokes of ruby red lined the place where fields met the heavens, and Dream could see pieces that looked pink, too. If he looked up he would’ve seen a rich and fathomless indigo color, that moved up and away from the world into space.

The house was quiet. The whole world seemed to be, too. The daytime animals were settling down to sleep, and the nocturnal ones were barely rising. And there were no people nearby to cause any commotion- other than Techno. The stillness spread into Dream’s chest as he sprawled out onto bed sheets that had not been used for a while. The plain ceiling and walls of Techno’s spare room surrounded him. Exhausted, he drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> want something to read while you wait for the next chapter? like sleepy bois? check out this sleepy bois fic that I have:
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/28626123
> 
> It's rather simple but it's nice. Like chicken soup :)
> 
> Also, I just wanted to say thank you for all the support and lovely comments you left me on the last chapter. It really made my day!!! <3


	3. Nightmares and Honey

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe I wrote over 10k words in the span of 3 days. I am absolutely bonkers. 
> 
> This chapter is quite a wild ride. I hope you guys enjoy it <3

In the middle of the night Dream heard pained moans coming from the other room. Groggily, he got to his feet and shuffled into the doorway. He stood there for a moment, half-asleep and hesitant, before walking down the hall and knocking on Techno’s door. 

No answer. He opened it and entered. 

This room was a lot different than the spare room he was staying in. It was more personal, with clothes and things scattered about. Little details make it seem so lived in, a desk with the chair pulled out, a book open on the nightstand with its corner carefully folded, a mug of coffee that had been abandoned. Tall windows had their curtains drawn back, and moonbeams flickered in through the glass- casting a light onto Techno’s pale and sweating face. He was twisted and tangled in his sheets, sprawled out on his back in the middle of the bed. A pillow had fallen to the floor- probably kicked away in all the man’s restlessness. His expression was tight and concentrated in pain, his eyes darting around behind closed eyelids. At first Dream thought the man’s infection had flared up again- the healing potion apparently not doing its job. But he realized this could not be true when he saw the pink and scarred skin where his wound was, caught in a silvery moonbeam. It clearly wasn’t infected. There must have been some other kind of ailment plaguing the man. 

“Techno,” Dream said, voice hazy with sleep. Then, clearer: “Techno.”

Techno groaned slightly and rolled onto his belly. The blackness of midnight obscured Dream’s vision. 

“Techno,” he tried again, this time louder. 

“Please,” the man said. 

“Techno wake up. You’re having a bad dream.”

“Please, no.” His voice was a whimper. 

Dream, in a stroke of boldness, walked over to the bed and sat down on it. He put a hand on Techno’s back and shook it gently, calling his name a few more times. The man stirred but still wouldn’t wake up. 

“Please…” cried Techno, in his sleep. “Please.”

What he was begging for, Dream didn’t know. But he did know that whatever it was he had to give it to him. It must have been mercy. He must have been begging for mercy, as he sunk deeper into the depth of his sleep. Dream would give him mercy. 

He lifted up Techno by the shoulders and maneuvered him into his lap. Dream wrapped his arms around the man’s torso, cradling him tightly. Techno’s head rolled back onto Dream’s collarbone, fitting into the dip between Dream’s neck and shoulder. He whimpered slightly. 

Dream craned his neck to whisper into Techno’s ear. “It’s okay, It’s okay. There, there, It’s okay. Shhhh.” He spoke soft words of comfort and rubbed the man’s chest with soothing strokes, like he would to console a crying child, not a bloodstained warrior. Techno would have been humiliated. But it didn’t matter, none of that mattered in the moment, neither of them were thinking. Sleep protected Techno from his mind and darkness protected Dream from his. The cover of night loosened their lips, letting Techno cry for help and letting Dream answer him. It lengthened their movements, slowed their breathing. Dream felt like he was swimming in the darkest and deepest part of the ocean. Suddenly, the salty broth still on his lips from their shared meal was the splash of a sea spray into his parted mouth. Techno’s heaves and pants made sense- he was drowning. And the way Dream clutched him made sense too, for if he let go they would drift apart, the tides pulling them away. 

At some point Techno’s pleas and cries subsided, and he fell into a silence. Dream couldn’t pinpoint the moment that it happened, but it did, and he found himself holding a man who no longer needed to be held. He shifted in the bed, trying to gently move Techno off of his lap and back onto the mattress. As he did so, he felt a hand grip his arm. 

The man was awake, at least a little bit. Dream couldn’t see it in the dark but half lidded eyes stared up at him mournfully. Dream stared down at the point where the other man was grabbing him, not sure if he was just imagining it. 

“Stay,” said Techno. 

Dream did. 

He held him until the morning. Techno cheek touched his chest, face wet with tears. Dream did not mention the crying, but once he reached down and silently wiped at them. Techno caught the hand that so tenderly touched his face and moved to the back of his neck. Dream carded his fingers through the man’s hair. 

They didn’t talk about it in the morning.

\---

It _was_ an early spring. The snow stayed melted and the flowers survived, much to Techno’s secret delight. And Dream’s, too. He ran out onto fields that would soon crop up with tall grass, and sat under the sycamore trees and read and sang. Techno made fun of his singing and carefree nature.

“Look here, songbird. If Fundy’s men come back you’re gonna alert them of your location long before you can see them.” 

Techno’s voice was stern, but Dream didn’t buy it. “You just don’t like my singing,” he replied casually. 

“That’s true too.” The man said cooly, taking a seat beside Dream under the tree. 

“Oh!” Dream put a hand to his chest, feigning hurt. “How can you say that? Don’t you know I used to be famed for my singing?” 

“That’s the biggest lie you’ve ever told, and I once heard you try to convince Philza that you weren’t the one who broke that vase.”

“I wasn’t! It was Tommy!” He grumbled half-heartedly.

A hint of a smile appeared at Techno’s lips. “Sure, okay.”

The conversation lulled. Then, Dream spoke: “You know what song I’m famous for? Ask me.” He put his arm around Techno’s shoulder with a big grin. The other man raised his eyebrows in mild amusement. 

“What song?” He played along. 

Dream threw back his head and belted out a verse, off-key and loud. “WaTER WALKIN’ JESUSSS!! TAKE ME TO YOUR LAND!!”

“Oh my God.” 

“No Techno, not God. Jesus.” 

The man couldn’t help it, he let out a hearty laugh. It wasn’t funny or anything, it just caught him off guard! Or so he told himself as he put a hand on his knee and leaned forward, trying to smooth over his giggling. 

“Oh, you liked that one?” Dream teased. “I shoulda know it’s the stupid jokes that make you laugh.” 

“It- what- that was a fluke. That wasn’t a laugh.” 

“Sure, sure.” The atmosphere was companionable. Friendship. The smile fell off of Dream’s face- just a little- as he thought about it. _Friendship._ His eyes hazed over for a moment. _Friends…_ Suddenly the warmth that rolled off of the other man felt stiflingly hot. He shifted, uncomfortable, and turned his head away from the other man. _A hand running up his chest._ He was very still. _Fingers running down his spine. A moan in his ear._ He watched the wind rustle through the leaves of the trees. _A sweet hum, a tender touch, a rough grab, thin lines of scratches down his shoulder._ He could still feel the scratches. 

“Dream?” Techno said. 

Dream tried to make his face as neutral as possible when he turned back to the other man. Then he flashed him an innocent smile. “Yes?” 

Techno knew what he was thinking about. He could see it in the eyes. “You just looked lost in thought, that’s all.” 

They shared a look. _He knows._ Dream removed his arm from its place around Techno’s shoulder as casually as possible, but the gesture was anything but casual. Neither of them met the other’s eyes. 

It was only like that for a moment- then conversation and laughter bubbled up again. So naturally, like the spring. 

Days passed. There was no sign of Fundy or his soldiers, and Techno figured it was safe to let his guard down as well. He walked around unarmored now, and always left his sword in the house. The spring was turning out to be beautiful- the leaves got greener by the day, the grass grew, yellow flowers bloomed on the ground and little pink ones in the trees. He would stand out on his porch and let the minutes pass. Even when there was no wind everything seemed to be alive, moving. It had never been that way before. 

One afternoon Techno found Dream sitting on the porch, scrubbing diligently at something. He was knelt over a basin filled with water and soap, absorbed in whatever it was he was washing. The gentle sound of splashing covered up Techno’s footsteps. 

He stepped out out the front door, watching Dream work for a moment before announcing his presence. “What are you doing?” 

The other man jumped and looked up, relaxing again when he saw who it was. “Oh, I’m just washing out your cloak. Remember, the one that fell in the mud?”

Yes, Techno could see it now. The coarse burgundy fabric that had faded back into its bright red. The grey trim was looking white again, too. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“Oh, I know. But it didn’t look like you were going too and if we waited any longer it would have been unsalvageable. Did you forget about it?”

“I might’ve.” In truth, he did not, but he didn’t want to wash it out. He didn’t know why, perhaps because in doing so he would wash away the remains of the battle. Maybe he couldn’t bring himself to let it go. 

But now Dream was letting it go for him. Taking a weight off his chest whether he liked it or not. He didn’t know how to feel.

“Ah! See, I knew you had. You’re always wearing this cloak.” The man absentmindedly smiled a little, scrubbing the fabric on itself, watching as the dried blood chipped off of the fur. 

Techno knelt besides Dream. “Wash it slower.” 

The smile disappeared. “Hmm?”

Techno was staring down at the garment, looking at the way the soap swirled around in the basin and mixed with the filth, carrying it away. “Wash it slower,” he said again. “Please.”

The word sounded too familiar. Dream looked him in the face, his mosaic eyes searching. Techno didn’t tear his gaze away from the washbasin, but he put a hand on Dream’s wrist, a silence explanation. “Oh,” Dream said. He washed it slower. 

He washed it slower. He washed it all away. At some moments tears fell from Techno’s eyes. When this happened, Dream would stop washing and put a hand on the other man’s shoulder. _To let the fabric soak,_ he told himself. The water would settle, and he would resume scrubbing. They did that until it was clean. 

Dream hung the coat out in the sun to let it dry. It was a hot day, so it could dry quickly, without any fear of mold. He poured out the washbasin into the earth, the soil soaking up the impure water. Then he sat besides Techno who had not moved. They stayed there for hours, until the sun fell over the horizon. 

Nightmares persisted. For both of them, but Techno’s were worse. He would whimper and toss and turn in the middle of the night, and Dream would hear him and go to him. Sometimes when he called his name Techno woke up, and that was that. But other times he was sunk in too deep, too far. Dream would cradle him and whisper kind words into his ear until the fit ended. After that he would either go back to his own bed or just fall asleep right there. 

One night Dream had a particularly bad fit. It was enough to wake up Techno, who unhesitatingly appeared in his doorway and sat by his bed. After all, Dream had done this so many times for him, this was the least he could do to repay it. Dream yelped within the sheets, kicking out at the soft fabric which restrained him. Techno pulled back the blanket so his legs could move. Sleep addled and tired, Techno held the man in his arms, laid Dream’s head on his chest, rocked him back and forth. “Beloved,” he whispered into Dream’s ear, without thinking. It was something his mother had said to him when he was younger- whenever he had night terrors like he still does now. A loving nickname. A kind word. “You are beloved. Beloved. Beloved.” He said it over and over again, cradling him. “Beloved…” He kissed his forehead.

\---

They woke up the next morning in the same bed, lying side by side but not looking at each other. Techno asked him what the nightmare was about. Dream felt betrayed.

“How could you ask me that? I never ask you that,” He said.

Nobody said anything for a long moment. The two of them lay there, looking up at the ceiling, white and bare. The curtains hadn’t even been opened yet. Techno spoke: “I want to know.”

“Fuck you,” Dream spat. 

“Ungrateful bitch,” Techno instinctively responded. 

Dream’s mouth twisted in anger. “Beloved in the dark, bitch in the day, that’s how it is?” His voice was hardly more than a whisper but it seeped with rage. The man stood up and left the room, slamming the door behind him. 

Techno went after him- how could he not? He found the man on the balcony, wearing just a pair of pajama pants that Techno lent him, looking out over the grassy fields. The fields had grown several feet since the day spring began, and they now bore home to many wildflowers and weeds. 

“You’re going to get sick out here, like that,” Techno called to him from the doorway. It wasn’t true- the day wasn’t chilly enough for that. The other man’s silence was deafening.

“Please come in,” Techno tried again. Still nothing. 

“Beloved,” Techno said. Dream looked out over the spring fields. There were tiny yellow flowers, daisies. And tall blue forget-me-not’s and little violet stalks of lavender that sprung up unexpectedly and far from one another, and little pink ones that he knew didn’t grow from the ground but on the trees, and that was just where they had fallen when the wind swept them away. 

“Please, Beloved.” Techno said, his voice clear and firm, Like the two of them were characters in a play. Like the fields and flowers were his audience and he had to speak in a way that they could all hear. 

Flowers are deaf. Techno spoke to Dream alone.

Dream, without looking behind him, walked down the steps, off the porch, and into the tall grass. If not for the thick pajamas he would’ve felt the prickles and softness of the field touch his thighs. The man crossed his arms over his chest and squinted his eyes, looking out into the distance. 

Techno, exasperated and remorseful, watched him. When Dream gave no indicator of speaking to him, he turned around to go back inside. But before he did he saw his cloak hanging up on the railing, now completely dry. He had neglected to take it inside even though it had been that way for a few days. Techno picked it up and walked into the field. Carefully, mindful not to touch the man, he draped the cloak over Dream’s shoulders. Techno stayed there a moment longer before leaving and letting him be.

\---

They made amends, Techno doesn’t remember when. But now they were closer than before, less cautious.

\---

Techno heard moaning coming from Dream’s room. He awoke, and sleepily trekked down the hall like he had done so many times, and like Dream had done for him so many times more. He opened the door without knocking, like he usually did.

“Dream,” Techno called his name. The night was very late and almost moonless. The blond man lay tangled in a heap of limbs and blankets on the bed, and he moaned again.

“Dream,” he called, and sat by his bedside. He put a hand on Dream’s back, and the man’s body melted into the touch. He rubbed it soothingly for a moment before abruptly freezing. 

Dream let out another noise. It wasn’t one of pain, or anguish, or fear. It was different. He recognized it from that night in the cave.

Techno tried to stand, to step away, but it was too late. Dream’s eyes were open and looking at him, although Techno couldn’t actually see this. He only knew Dream was awake from the way the man’s body tensed under his hand, a hand that he was quickly pulling away. 

“Hey Techno,” the man said, voice breathy like air and thick like honey all at once. 

“Dream. Another nightmare?” He asked. His hand prickled and stung like it had been burned. 

“That’s right,” he said. _You know I’m lying. I know you know…_

“You’re alright now. I’m- I’m going back to bed,” Techno stammered. He finally willed his legs to move, although they seemed to be reluctant to support him. He swayed a little as he stood. 

“Goodnight, Technoblade.” Dream was still lying on the bed. 

“Goodnight.”

Back in his room, the man shut the door with a shaky breath. He could still hear Dream’s noises ringing in his ears like a bell, echoing from one side of his skull to the other, from side to side, through his head, though his body, down his throat, filling his lungs until he was choking on it. He closed his eyes and saw a blond boy sprawled out in the starlight, mouth parted and eyes lidded, out of sight. Cheeks rosy but nobody would know, nobody would see, nobody would know. He saw him moan... 

He leaned against the doorway and touched himself. It cascaded through him like a tidal wave. Sinking, drowning, dying. 

He washed his hands.

And tried to forget about it.

\---

A month had passed, and it was an afternoon. Techno hadn’t seen Dream since that morning when the two of them had breakfast. He was probably off sleeping under the sycamores, Technoblade figured. _The man always sleeps better during the day, anyways._ And Dream liked the forest by Techno’s house, with it’s vividly green plants and tall, sturdy trees. Techno had sent him out to get a specific type of plant, a type of clover with a gold sheen in the center of it, that he needed for a potion he was trying to brew.

Hair pulled back and glasses perched on his nose, the man was hunched over his brewing station, glancing between a book and a vial. The book was a journal of his, pages lined with depictions of potions and recipes, with lots of words crossed out and ingredients substituted. He stared at the vial- filled with a churning blue substance that was supposed to be lime green and smell of cedarwood- and sighed, crossing out another line in his book. 

Absentmindedly, he flipped through the pages. The smooth texture of the paper was familiar and comforting between his fingers. It was quite a nice journal, one Philza had gotten him for a birthday many years ago. It had been quite a while since he had seen that man now.

The exile used to be painful. The days used to be long and lonely, with nobody around for comfort but the stray dogs that would take shelter under the porch on the harsh winter nights. Now he had one big stray dog, whose name was Dream and who suffered from nightmares and loved the woods. 

He landed on a page that caught his eye. Filled with a bright pink color, it was a recipe for a potion he had never really bothered with before. It was an easy one, a simple recipe, and so it never posed a challenge to him and he never cared about it. _Love Potion,_ he read the messy, scrawling handwriting at the top of the page. 

He still had some left over from… last time… 

Techno walked across the room and crouched beside a chest. He opened it up. There at the bottom, in the same place as he left it about a month and a half ago, were those rosey pink vials of love potions. Counting them in his head he saw there were eight left. There were ten when his friend gifted them to him, and one had broken two years ago, so that makes nine. And Dream and Techno split one, making it eight. So eight. 

The man picked one up in his hands and examined the stuff. Shimmering, pink, sweet and thick. It was like water when you shook it around in the vial, but like honey when it went down your throat. The man studied the ornate golden pattern of the glass, followed its curves and dips with his eyes, as if he were watching the movements of a dancer. 

Dream burst through the door holding a handful of clovers (the wrong kind, to be noted). 

“Hey Techn-” He stopped when he saw the pink vial. Embarrassed, Techno tried to put it away, while Dream’s mouth formed into a tight line. 

“I can explain. I was just looking at them.”

“Oh, I know that. What else would you have been doing with them?” 

“Well- I mean-” His face was red. “Right. What else would I have been doing with them.” The man whirled around and pretended to write something down. 

Dream approached him and put the clovers on the table, right on his notebook. 

“Excuse me,” Techno said, still flustered but now a little annoyed, too. 

Dream leaned down to the man’s ear. Techno turned his head away and felt his skin burn as Dream’s hot breath brushed the place where his jawbone met his neck. 

“You weren’t reading it, anyways,” Dream said in a low voice. 

Techno inhaled unsteadily. Then the blond man straightened and left the room. Techno could hear the shower running. 

\---

He was drinking. Not love potions, whiskey. He pulled out the bottle from under the kitchen cabinet with shaking hands and unscrewed the top. A sharp smell sliced through the air and he held his own hand for a moment before downing a quarter of the bottle in one fell swoop. Techno was worried about wasting it for a second, but remembered all the extra he had stored in the basements somewhere. Another gift from Philza. 

_“I hope you never need this,” his father said to him, crates of alcohol in his arms. “But if you do. If it becomes too much. I prefer you a life of this than a life of the freezing pain of loneliness and insanity.”_

To hear those words from his own father’s lips… 

_“This, at least, will keep you warm,” Philza said. There were tears in his father’s eyes._

He took another sip. Another. Another. Another. 

The sound of running water stopped. Dream was out of the shower. In a minute he would come out into the living room and find him like this, but there was nothing Techno could do about it. He tried to stand and his knees buckled, the drink hitting him in the head. _Wouldn’t do something about it if I could…_ he thought, keeling by the kitchen with a bottle in his hands. 

Whiskey chased away his fear. It washed him clean from the inside out and loosened his mouth like sleep. It tore open his head and he mumbled incoherently to himself, all those thoughts that would have stayed inside now free from his lips. He touched his face and couldn’t feel it. 

“Techno?” A voice cut through his drunken haze. “Oh, Techno.” 

“Hey there, Dream,” Techno said with a grin. “Come drink with me!” and he raised the bottle. 

“How did you get drunk so fast,” he asked, voice tentative.

“Started right when I heard running water. Couldn’t stand the thought of you naked _sober._ ” His smile was bitter.

Dream was mad. “You- you-” He plucked the bottle from Techno’s hands, ignoring his protests. “You can’t just say stuff like that!” 

“Do you love me?”

“No.”

“I know. I know you don’t. But I can fix it!” Techno pulled himself to his feet, largely using the kitchen counter for support. He tried to steady himself on one of Dream’s arms, but the man ducked away. 

He stumbled to the chest and riffled through it, going ‘aha!’ when his hands found and clutched the object he was looking for. He pulled out a little pink vial. 

Dream saw it. “Techno, you’re going to sleep.” 

“No, please,” desperation seeped into his tone. “I don’t want to spend another night alone.” 

“Techno, this is pathetic. Is this who you are? Pull yourself together!” 

“Oh but I can’t. I can’t. You’ve undone me, can’t you see?” He gestured to himself. 

Dream’s demeanor softened. 

“Indulge me,” Techno said. “I’m beggin’ you. Indulge me.” 

“I can’t. You’re drunk! You’re not thinking straight,” his tone was no longer laced with malice, a stormy emotion taking its place. 

“You know I want this sober, too. You know.” 

“I…” he didn’t know what to say.

“You want this,” Techno got on his knees. Dream moved back, startled. “You want this, too. Say it. Say the word and I’m yours. Drink with me.” He held up the vial in offering. 

Dream hesitated. 

“Tell me you liked it. I need it. I need this…”

Dream took it and opened the lid, and drank half. He handed it to Techno, who drank the other half. Sweet ambrosia. 

Then Dream disappeared into the kitchen and returned with the bottle. He sat in front of Techno and silently sipped. 

“Tell me when you love me,” said the man, sitting closer to him. 

Dream drank and waited. Seconds turned into minutes turned into half an hour. He looked up, hazy with potion and whiskey. 

“I love you,” Dream said. 

Techno didn’t hesitate, the words bursting from his lungs: “God, God I love you. I love you. Come here.” Techno opened his arms and the other man fell into them. They kissed and pushed and rubbed and shoved and moaned and tore and oh…

They had each other so good. 

It was so good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you like it? I think this chapter might be my best work yet, I'm pretty proud of it. Tell me what you thought about it in the comments. 
> 
> And as always, thanks for reading :)
> 
> <3
> 
> (also did anyone catch that ap lang shit with the washbasin?? with the tapestry and the boy on it holding a washbasin and looking at the other man, and then dream washes the cloak for techno, and the symbolism and whatever?? yeah)


	4. Lights

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ohhhh my god. oh my god. holyyyy fuck. ohhHHHH boy. 
> 
> this one is a doozy. 
> 
> cw: mentions of vomit (very brief, and there are no descriptions, but I thought I would warn you anyways)

Morning kissed the cabin and they kissed each other. Sweet pairs of lips blessed one another like spoonfuls of sugar after bitter cough syrup. Tender palms ran down faces like tears. They giggled, free and happy and in love. 

Dream chased Techno around the kitchen playfully, a towel in his hands. “I’ll get you!” He said to the man, mouthful of smiles. “I’ll get you! And when I do-” 

The pink haired man would never find out what Dream would do, for he abruptly spun and caught the man- who barreled straight into his chest- in his arms. Dream squealed, a young and joyful sound, as Techno peppered kisses to his hair and face. 

“Let me go, you scoundrel!” Dream said from underneath the man’s loving mouth. “Argh! How dare you!” 

Techno giggled and kissed his ear, before pulling back to look at the other man, suddenly hesitant. 

“Oh, I was only joking, Blade,” said Dream, looking up at the man.

“I… Right, of course you were. I just wasn’t sure because-” 

Dream peered up at him with beautiful green eyes. Techno knew that when the summer came they would match the colors of the fields; juniper, chocolate, and butterscotch gold. The summer never seemed so endearing to him. 

“Because why?” Dream prompted.

“Because of the potion. When will it wear off?” 

Some of the gold in his eyes dimmed. “We have time,” He said, looking down. 

“How much?”

“Hours, lots of hours.” 

“It’s not enough.” 

Dream looked up again and his expression was melancholy. “You are asking for too much, Technoblade. You have hours. Take what you have.” 

Techno did. He leaned down and kissed the man, hard. Dream kissed him back.

\---

They spent the day together. Through the forest, hand in hand, they ducked under low hanging tree branches and stopped at a tall willow tree, with its drooping braids of leaves and soft white bark. The leaves were like a curtain, which Techno pulled Dream through by the hand, watching those juniper eyes widen as nature shielded them from the world. The sunbeams streamed in through the curtains of green and touched their faces. They made love lying against the trunk of the willow, watching as petals and leaves fell around them in a flurry. Dream gasped, bright and loud and unafraid.

By the river they sat, and watched the water rush past them in a whirl. Techno put a hand in Dream’s hair, absentmindedly, watching as his fingers tousled through the blond locks. A golden river, here at his fingertips. And soon he would lose it all. 

He couldn’t bear the thought, and he started to cry. Dream asked him what was wrong, held his chest and kissed the salty water that fell down his face, but Techno couldn’t tell him. He merely held the other boy’s face in his hands and prayed that it would stay. _To no avail,_ he knew. _Their love was as fleeting as the seasons._

They swam in the river, icy cold water rushing over their bodies, and played like they were kids again. Techno _felt_ young and free. He laughed at Dream’s jokes and pushed his head under playfully, only to have the other man pull him under as well. Swimming and touching and gasping for air they grinned into the afternoon, their hours dwindling. 

They lie in the sun to dry off. _I need more time. I can’t bear to watch this leave me,_ Techno thought, as he watched Dream close his eyes in content relaxation. _I can’t stand it. I need more. I need him more. I can’t bear to watch this go…_ But he would have to bear. 

He would have to bear because it did go. 

The afternoon cursed the world and Techno felt the change. The tension, the unspoken words, the taut feeling between them. Dream looked at him and it drove an arrow into his heart. There was no love in the gaze anymore. 

“Techno,” Dream said his name, as they were walking back to the cabin. 

“Dream,” he replied, looking anywhere but at the other man. His chest ached like it had burst inside of him and his feet and legs were sore. And his head felt heavy, like he had a cold. 

“Was it good? Are you happy now?”

What could he say. What could he say. “It was good. Do-” _Oh, what was I going to ask? If he loved me? He doesn’t anymore._ Tears threatened to fall and his throat prickled. 

“What is it, Techno.” The voice was soft and the man had stopped walking. He put his hands on Techno’s shoulders and tried to look him in the eyes. 

Techno didn’t speak for fear of breaking down. _That would be cruel,_ he thought. _I couldn’t do that to him._ To fall apart and make Dream feel guilty for something that he could not control and was not his fault. _That is cruelty._

“Tell me…” Dream said again. When had they stopped walking?

“Dream-” He choked out the words, like they had fought to stay in his mouth. He reached up to touch the blond man’s face. 

Dream froze, hands still on his shoulders. Techno felt the muscles in them tense and grow stiff, no longer friendly. “Not anymore,” he said. His voice was collected. 

Techno moved the hand to his mouth to stifle a sob. “The potion hasn’t worn off for me yet,” he said, fighting to keep his voice steady. “Another hour or so.” 

“I see.” Dream’s tone was cool and calm. 

“Yeah. Let’s, let’s go back.” 

“Will you cry? When we get back to the cabin and you’re finally behind closed doors?”

Techno felt the tears slide down his face. 

“Will you let me into your room to console you? Like I do when you have dreams of bloodshed and gore?” 

“Please- please stop. Why are you doing this to me?” 

“I’m asking you something. Will you let me?”

“I can’t- it hurts too much, please.” 

“What hurts? The potion, is that what hurts?” 

“N- no.” 

“Then what? What hurts? What’s hurting you, Techno?”

“You are!” 

Dream turned to face him. Techno’s home was only a few steps away, but the man didn’t seem to be able to will himself up the stairs and through the door. He was hunched over, with his hands resting on a fence post, supporting his body weight. He was heaving like he had been punched. Inhales and exhales tangled with broken sobs. 

“You- you bitch!” he stammered, sinking to the floor. “You did this to me! You-” He put his head in his hands. 

Dream stared down at him with cold eyes. “I did this to you?” 

“It’s too hot.” he said. “It’s too hot. It’s burning me. I can’t do this, I can’t do this, I can’t watch you go cold again when all I want to do is hold you in my arms and never let you go.” 

The blond man went to him, unable to watch his friend crumble to pieces without doing anything. He tried to wrap Techno in his arms. 

“Get off me!” The man yelled, elbowing him away. Dream simply caught the arm that had tried to strike him and wrested it down. “I said, get off me,” he shouted again, this time weaker. His anger bubbled then seeped into grief. Dream held him tightly, let him cry out and sob into his chest. Let his breathing settle. Shushed his feeble murmuring and stroked his hair. Techno clutched at the hem of his shirt desperately, as if Dream would disappear otherwise.

When Techno calmed down they went inside. Dream made them tea and they sipped by the fireplace, watching as the sky grew darker outside. It would rain tonight, Dream said to him. Techno could hardly hear it. _Beloved,_ he wanted to say. _Beloved, beloved, beloved._ But he stayed quiet. 

It did rain that night. Sheets of water poured from the sky, and a noise like static beat down on the roof of the house and surrounded everything. Techno was lying in his bed, listening to the rain, to the torrents of water. It was late but the curtains were open. He was watching the grey sky pour down into the shadowed rolling fields. Watching them soak the grass. He watched, unmoving, withered deeply into a slimy, sullen thing. 

He heard his door open and didn’t look to see who it was. 

Dream closed the door behind him softly as he stepped into the room. 

A moment passed with the two of them just staring out the window, watching the rains fall. Then, Dream’s footsteps padded across the floor. Techno felt the bed move, and heard blankets shuffled around. He sensed a body next to him, although it didn’t touch him. A pair of juniper eyes scoured him in the dark. 

Dream brought his hand forward and touched Techno’s face, just below the eyes, on the top of the cheekbone. Techno flinched for a moment and Dream hesitated, but he quickly relaxed and Dream took it as an approval. The blond man wiped away Techno’s tears. 

_Have I been crying?_ Techno thought to himself. He hadn’t felt his own tears. _I didn’t even know I was crying..._

Dream put a hand on his waist and Techno’s mouth twisted in pain, like it had been a punch to his side instead of a gentle hold. The other man must have sensed it because he leaned forward and shushed into Techno’s ear, a little _sh-sh-shh_ noise that seemed to relax his mouth but make his tears flow even more steadily. What a strange consolation. 

They fell asleep like that, watching the rain.

\---

Time passed. Spring bloomed into summer.

Techno was right. The fields did come to match Dream’s juniper green, chocolate brown, butterscotch gold eyes. The man smiled brightly at him from among the flowers, between the lavender and perennials. 

Techno caught a glimpse of a subtle white flower, with pink veins and a rich, red center. He knelt and plucked it from the earth. 

“Look, Dream,” he said. Dream turned to look. 

“What is it?” 

“It’s a hibiscus flower. You leave them in the sun to dry, and then you can make tea out of them.”

“Hibiscus tea?” Dream asked, eyes wide. 

“No, Sherlock. Mint tea. Yes, of course hibiscus tea!”

Dream laughed and Techno couldn’t help but smile at the sight. “Alright, alright! I was just confirming, _sheesh!_ ”

“You’re as intelligent as these flowers.”

“I’m insulted by that because you called me brainless, but flattered because you compared me to a flower.”

Techno, scoffing: “You are so full of yourself.” 

Dream grinned and shuffled through the grass for a moment. “Hey, want to go down to the river later? We can swim.” 

“That sounds nice. It’s too hot out today to do anything else, really.” 

“Alright. We’ll go in a few minutes.” Dream sat, head tilted down to escape the blaze of the sun. He looked at Techno with a big smile and gestured for him to come next to him. 

The pink haired man obliged, sitting cross legged by the other man. Without thinking he carded his hands through the grass, his fingers pausing when they got to a weed or flower, and then they would feel the sides and petals of the plant. The rough stem, the smoothed leaves, the firm and earthy texture of it all. 

“Your eyes look so sad,” Dream said to him. 

They did look sad. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Technoblade, are you miserable? Look me in the eyes and tell me.”

He sighed, annoyed. “Why must you always pry into my feelings like this. They’re my feelings! Leave me alone.” _We were having such a nice moment. Why do you do this._

A long moment passed. “Techno, are you still in love with me?” 

He stood abruptly, bothered by the question. Then he turned to Dream still sitting beside him. Offering a hand to help him stand, he said, “Let’s go down to the river.”

Dream took it. 

As they walked Techno’s chest prickled and his head ached. He wanted to run, get away from the feeling, so he looked to Dream with a playful smile and poked him in the ribs. “Hey!” the other man said, as Techno broke into a sprint. “I’ll get you for that!” Dream said, as he started to chase him. 

Techno dashed through the forest, feeling the ground meet his feet and his muscles sing with use. His lungs would have burned this time last spring, but the summer had been a good one and so they were strong with use. Dream and him had chased one another around like children, played games, held contests. Swam in the river and climbed tall trees. The air that filled his lungs was fresh, but a little heavy. He didn’t mind it, though, the same weight that burdened him held him down.

They reached the river, Dream just a few paces behind him. The blond man laughed as he undressed, Techno doing the same. Dream jumped into the water.

“Techno! Come in!” Dream called, pushing his sopping wet hair out of the way. It had grown longer in the months that passed. 

“You look like a drowned rat. Is it warm?”

“No, it’s freezing. Get in here!” He tried to splash Techno, who deftly moved back just in time. 

“You aren’t making a very convincin’ argument.” 

“Ohhh fine Techno. Don’t come in! Just lend me a hand so I can get out.” 

Techno immediately recognized Dream’s plan. “You want me to give you a hand, so that I can pull you out?” 

“That’s correct! Very good, Technoblade. You get a gold star.” The man’s cocky smile graced the water. 

“And not so you can drag me in.” Techno knelt by the river bed with a dubious look. “Right?”

Dream grumbled, annoyed that he had been so easily caught. “That’s right,” he continued, anyways.

“Oookay,” said Techno, a fond expression on his face. “I’ll give you my hand! Just don’t pull me i-” 

With a yank Techno was barreling into the waters. Dream laughed loudly as Techno surfaced. “Ohh!!!” said the man, laughing. “You got me! How could anyone have predicted this?” 

“Oh, shut up,” replied the blond, teasingly. 

_This is okay,_ Techno told himself, watching Dream swim along the sides of the river, looking at the small fish that lurked among the muskgrass. _It’s okay. It’s enough._ Dream resurfaced and splashed his face, and Techno gasped dramatically. He retaliated by pushing Dream under by the shoulders, and Dream parried by pulling at his legs and causing his head to slip beneath the water. A pair of juniper eyes, a little hazy and bluish from the river water, looked happy. Wrinkles from real smiles tugged at the corner of his cheeks and pulled at his freckles like the way the dawn pulls at the stars in the sky. Techno wanted to touch his face, trace the patterns below his eyes, run his finger down the underside of his jaw. Instead he came up for air and splashed him again. Dream laughed loudly, and Techno beamed.

\---

Their supply of love potions dwindled. What once was seven became six so quickly, then five. Then there was a little bit of time before it was four, then three.

Techno approached Dream’s bedside late, on nights where there were no nightmares for either of them, and Dream knew what he wanted. The man would appear in the doorway with a vial in his pocket. Sometimes Dream would pretend to be sleeping, and Techno would leave. But other times he would sit up in his bed, slowly. Techno would hold something in his hands, like a hat or a sweatshirt, to cover his crotch as he walked to Dream. He would have his head tilted down and if Dream was shirtless he would look away. He would crouch by the bed and hold the vial in his hands. Never would he thrust it towards the blond man or drink from it first. There was always the respect, the waiting, the silent asking. Dream would take it from his hands and open it, the sound of the bottle uncorking making Techno hard. He hated himself when he felt that warm feeling at the bottom of his stomach. Dream would card his fingers through the man’s hair as he sipped from the vial, Techno unable to look at him, until Dream finished his half and pressed the bottle to the other man’s palm. Techno would take it and drink. 

They would love. They’d have a day, and then it would be over.

There was a long stretch where Techno didn’t go to Dream. He might have just been busy, or forgotten about it, or didn’t want to push it with Dream. The blond man would sit up into the night, worried, confused. _It’s a good thing,_ he told himself. _This is good. Maybe he’s finally over this._ His stomach twisted and he wanted to vomit. _This is good,_ he told himself, until he could lie no longer. One night, he crept into the chest that Techno had been keeping them in. He opened it and found a large container filled with the bright pink liquid, alongside what was left of the vials. _He’s been brewing more._ He took a vial and appeared by Techno’s side. 

Sleepily, Techno took it from Dream’s hands. 

“Where’s the other half?” he asked. Dream looked down in shame and pain. 

“You already drank it…” said Techno.

Dream was crying. “I’m so sorry,” he said. “I don’t know what happened. I didn’t- I never-” 

Techno waited patiently. 

“I could never force you into this. Please, if you don’t want to drink it, don’t. I will suffer the consequences.” The consequences were bearable. A few days of vomiting and sickness, a high fever, an intense loneliness that faded after a week or so. This was the price of drinking a love potion alone. Dream choked out an ugly sob.

“I have always shown you the utmost respect in this manner. I have always asked you first.”

“Yes,” Dream said, trembling. 

“I don’t want you to be sick. I care for you.” 

“I- I know.” 

“But if I drink this now it will make me and you more sick than the love potion ever could. You understand?” His voice was gentle yet firm. 

“I understand.” 

“I’ll be by your side for every moment of your loneliness and illness. I’ll hold your hair back when you puke, and dab cool water on your forehead when your fever is high.” 

Dream’s face felt hot already. “Techno,” he said. He knelt by the bedside and put his forehead on the man’s knee, as if in prayer. 

“Yes?”

“I know you’ve been making more of the potions.”

The man tensed. “I was going to tell you about it.” 

“When? When, Techno?” Dream looked up at him. “What have we become?” 

“I…” 

“Is this sick? Is this disgusting?” 

Pain seeped into the man’s voice. “I couldn’t tell you.” 

“Tell me. Do you still love me?” 

“How could you ask me that.” _Now? When I have the option to take away a week's worth of this man’s pain? He asks now?_

“I am asking. Will you lie? Don’t lie, please. We don’t lie to each other.” 

“I will not take the potion tonight.”

“I’m not asking you to!” Dream’s voice was almost a shout. 

“Then what are you asking!?” Techno’s voice _was_ a shout. He stood up. “Askin’ if I love you? Asking me if I love you? And for what! For WHAT!”

Dream stayed crouched on the floor. He didn’t want to fight, and Techno saw this. “Techno, we have to stop taking the potion.” 

“N0. No, please. You can’t do this to me.”

“Look around you. Look what it’s done to us. Is this right? You’re lying to me! And I can’t control myself anymore…”

“I can’t _do_ without it, Dream. Those days we have together are all I live for.” 

“That’s why we gotta stop.” Now Dream stood, and looked him in the eye. It was still dark in the room, and Dream wanted to keep it that way. They could have turned on the lights but it would have been harder to talk like that. “This isn’t healthy.”

“A compromise. Give me a compromise. Please.” 

Dream thought about it for a moment. “We’ll use what’s left of the potions, but not what you brewed. After it’s all gone- then that’s it, it’s over, no more.” 

“There’s only one left, not counting this one.” 

“I know.” 

“That’s so little time…” Techno looked down at the half of a potion, still in his hands.

“Don’t, Techno. Don’t do it.” 

He gazed wistfully at the substance in the vial, it’s pink hue able to be seen even in this low of a light. “But our time is running out. This could be one of our last chances.”

“It’s sick. Don’t.” 

“But…” 

“Please, Beloved.”

“Im turning on the lights.” Techno did, and watched as the room was illuminated. “What did you say?”

“I said beloved. I said please don't, beloved.” 

Technoblade laughed, dry and humorlessly. “I haven’t taken my half of the potion yet.” 

“I know.” Dream got closer to him, eyes wide and seeping with emotion, a sea of something burning underneath them. 

Techno’s face melted in the gaze. “You-”

“Beloved. I called you beloved. Beloved. Beloved. Beloved.” Dream plucked the potion from Techno’s hands and put it on the bedside table. “Beloved. I’ll say it a thousand times.” 

Techno’s eyes were wary. “Do you mean it?” 

“I don’t know. I just know I want to say it over and over again until it’s true. Beloved.” Dream rushed forward and wrapped his arms around Techno. “Beloved.” 

Dream whispered the word into Techno’s ear. He kissed the man’s face. He kissed his cheeks and forehead and said it again and again. _Beloved. Beloved. Beloved._

That night, and the moon was high. They went outside and Dream felt the cold seep through to his very bones. Techno was beside him. 

They went down the steps, barefoot. Dream knew the smooth wood beneath his feet, then the dirt and dewey grass. Techno opened the jar in his hands and poured out the love potion he had brewed, onto the same spot where Dream had poured out the washbasin so long ago. The pink soaked into the mud and dissipated. 

They went inside. They slept on the couch.

\---

Dream’s illness was awful. He couldn’t hold anything down for the life of him, and Techno did everything he could do to lower the fever- giving Dream lots of water and forcing him to chew on aspirin leaves- to no avail. Whenever Techno would walk away to do something, or even use the bathroom, the man would cry out. “No, Techno, please, don’t leave me, don’t leave me.” It was the loneliness. Techno rushed back to the man’s side as quickly as he could and stroked his hair and held him and spoke to him. At least he could alleviate _that_ symptom.

The fever broke and Dream got better. The loneliness went away. He was okay in a few days, and better in a week. In two weeks, you could hardly tell he was ever sick. 

__

____

\---

The last potion disappeared as summer died into fall. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ....
> 
> so what did you think? 
> 
> <3
> 
> (ps: if you got here early you may have noticed that the number of potions in this chapter changed. You're not crazy, I edited it. I forgot about the potion that they drank at the end of the last chapter like a DOOFUS omg. So I just edited it to fix it lol)


	5. Achilles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING!! WARNING!!! 
> 
> this chapter **really** walks the line between explicit and mature. you have been warned. 
> 
> also, note the fact that the f/m tag has been added!!! (if you're uncomfy with descriptions of a woman's body, you may want to proceed with caution. it's really only the last part, though)
> 
> if you think I should change the rating from M to E, please lmk down below. the barrier between those two tags can sometimes get a little blurry, so if enough people comment that I should change it, I will <3

The first time it was an accident. 

Techno was in the kitchen, cooking something. Dream was sitting on the couch in the living room, mending a shirt. Needle and thread and hand he tried to remember what he knew about sewing. _The stitch goes down, and then under? Or under and then down._ He knew somebody had taught him once before, but it was a long time ago now. Fussing and maneuvering the material he did his best to stitch up the tear. 

A sizzling noise and the clatter of a whisk sounded from the kitchen. “How’s it going in there?” Techno called, as he poured something into a pan. 

“It’s okay,” Dream replied, eyes squinted in focus. By the time Techno appeared to tell him that dinner was ready, the shirt was finished- although it didn’t look quite the same.

“Oh,” said Techno. “That’s not bad.”

“Hmm. It can be a pajama shirt. What did you make?”

“Chicken and dumplings.” 

Dream gasped lightly. “Oooh. That sounds so good.” 

“It will be. Come eat.” 

They did, in companionable silence, like they had many times before. The food was good and getting better- apparently Techno didn’t cook much before Dream showed up, but now he does frequently. The man had been trying recipes out of an old cookbook he found lying around. “Another gift from Philza?” Dream had asked, when he saw it in the other man’s hands. “No, from a brother,” was the reply. Techno solemnly thought of Wilbur and decided to make a few of the dishes in his honor. He found that he quite enjoyed it, and so did it often. 

Steam rose off their plates as Techno’s mind wandered. He missed the potions. It had been a month since they took the last one, on the day summer became fall. Why they chose that day he couldn’t remember, but it was a good choice. The moon was bright and the grass was high. They did it in the fields. They didn’t sleep- choosing to spend the whole 20 hours together- and when morning broke on the world they watched the sunrise. Other times with the potion they would have done things; like swimming, or playing, or looking for something or making something. But that time they just held one another and talked. And kissed. And loved. When afternoon touched the world and coated it in light like the marigolds and fire, and the love left their eyes, they slept beneath the willow, arms around each other, traded kisses, as a parting gift, a goodbye. 

“Is it tasty?” Techno asked. 

“Delicious,” Dream replied, mouth full. 

The evening passed until they were sitting in front of the fireplace. 

“Get closer to the fire,” Techno said. “I don’t want you to be cold.” 

Dream did, his legs touching the other man’s. He kept adjusting them, fidgeting, brushing them against Techno’s. 

Techno’s pupils swole. They were sitting very close to each other, crowded around the little brick alcove that held the flame dancing on the drywood and charcoal. 

Dream caught the look in the other man’s eye even though he had tried to hide it. The blond man got closer to Techno, until their legs were pressed flush. 

A heaviness hung between them, and neither of them moved or spoke. The fire spun and leapt before them. 

He doesn’t remember how it happened. One minute they were side by side, the next their legs were tangled in a heap. They pushed themselves tightly against one another. Grinding down through their clothes, eyes wild with desire, noises brief and bit down, but they were lucid and real. And then it was over.

\---

Dream’s hair was getting too long, and he asked Techno to cut it.

Techno sat the other man down in a chair in the bathroom, then reappeared with a pair of scissors. 

“Do you know how to cut hair?” asked Dream. 

“A little,” came the reply. He frowned in thought, looking at the blond man’s head and tousling the hair a little. 

Dream looked at the two of them in the mirror. Techno had gotten older since the time had passed. He looked wiser, more weathered. When he met Dream’s eye the gaze was familiar. And Dream? Himself? He swore he didn’t recognize the person that he saw. 

A lock fell from the blond man’s shoulder onto the floor. He could feel Techno’s hand on the base of his neck as he tilted his head to better accommodate the man. 

More hair fell, a cascade of yellow that poured onto the tile. The pink haired man thought it looked like a waterfall glinting in the mid-morning sunlight. He swore he could hear it rushing past as he snipped and cut the months away. 

“Ya know,” Techno said. “You have a little auburn in your hair, right at the roots.” He touched Dream’s scalp, marvelling in the slight red-brown color. The man shivered beneath him. “Sorry,” he mumbled, moving his hand to the back of the man’s ear, untucking the strands that were hidden behind it and letting them fall. 

“No, it’s okay,” Dream replied. He watched golden blond fall in front of his eyes. “You can touch it again,” it was soft, an admission. 

Reluctantly, Techno moved his hand back to the roots and ran his fingers through them. The motion reminded him of the way he touched the summer grass, natural and soothing. Dream’s eyes lidded in comfort. 

“You like that?” Techno whispered. But it was simple, chaste.

“Mmm-hmm.” The blond man wanted to close his eyes. 

Carefully, watching the other man’s reaction, Techno lightly pressed his fingernails to the thickest part of Dream’s hair and scratched. The man sunk into the feeling, and they were like that for a while.

“...or up here?” his hand shifted up until it was almost at his forehead. 

“That’s good too. But I like it down. Go down.”

He obediently returned his hand and watched Dream almost purr in satisfaction. “Remind you of something?” Techno asked. He felt casual and at home. 

“Reminds me of you. You used to do this to me when we fucked.” The hand in his hair stopped, and Dream’s eyes widened in surprise at the words that had left his mouth. “Wait. Wait I’m sorry,” He backtracked, sitting up to look at the other man. “I didn’t mean…”

“It’s okay,” Techno said, but his voice was strained. “Here, let me finish the haircut, or you’re going to look like a bird's nest.” His attempt at a joke worked, a little, and the blond man settled back into the chair, although his mouth was tugged down in a little frown. 

Techno worked at it and tried to distract himself. The shiny metal broke into the fields of gold like a farmer’s scythe would do to a harvest. He tried to focus, but couldn’t. “I never thought of it as that,” he said, after a long minute. 

“What?”

“I never thought of it as that. As fucking.” 

“O- oh. What did you think of it as?”

He scoffed, a little. “Not that.” Lucid and sad he took a comb to the hair. The little prongs sorted through the tangles. “Do you miss the potions?”

Dream, beneath him, did not answer the question. Instead he said, “I’m going to tell you something that I want you to forget as soon as you hear it.” 

“Go ahead. No promises, though.” 

“They were good fucks. They were the best I’ve ever had.” 

“How crude.” 

“It’s true.” 

Techno de-tangled a knot with a little more force than he needed too. 

“You’re mad. I upset you.” 

The other man was silent. 

“I’m sorry.”

He picked up the scissors again. “Remember when we were by the fireplace?” He trimmed the bangs, close to the eyes. “Was that a good one, too?” 

“Well… well yeah. But that was different. That was like, young.” 

“Young?”

“Yeah.” He fidgeted with the hem of his shirt, absentmindedly. “Like we were teenagers again. Chasing girls and blushin’ when they talked to us. Raging boners in class. Dousing cold water on our bodies on those sweaty, lonely nights.” He thought about it for a second. “Or at least, I did that. Did you do that?”

“I never really talked to girls. As for the rest of that stuff…” he vividly remembered crouching in the shower with his hands between his legs, head tilted down, hot water coursing down his back. Steam clearing his lungs and his face twisted with concentration. He cleared his throat. “I mean, that’s just being… desperate and willing to do it with anybody.”

“Exactly. It felt like that.” 

“Oh… and with the potions, it was different?”

Dream smiled in the memory. “Yeah. Those potions, it was love.” 

“And it wasn’t love in front of the fireplace?”

The blond man stayed quiet. 

“I wish that I...” Techno trailed off, and the thought was never finished. “Your haircut is done.” 

Dream’s hair was trimmed to above the ears, and it no longer bothered him by wisping and scratching against his neck. He ran his fingers through the small swoop hanging down in front of his face and found it irritating. “Can you trim the bangs a little?”

“Sure.”

Techno moved in front of the man and grabbed his chin, carefully adjusting it. Little pieces of hair fell away and landed on Dream’s cheeks. “Close your eyes,” he whispered. Dream did as told. 

“There.” The front was shorter now, out of the way. Younger. 

Opening his eyes, Dream was not very interested in the mirror. 

“Do you like it?”

“Yes.”

“Good.” He smiled. _Fucking,_ he thought. _It was just fucking._ Tears welled up in the corner of his eyes and he did his best to quell them before they fell. 

“You’re smiling, but you look like you’re about to break.”

“I feel like I am.”

“How come?” 

He thought about it for a second. “Dream, I want something from you.”

The man blinked deeply, as if to clear his brain. “No promises.”

“Hold me in your arms, like you did when we were lovers.”

 _Oh,_ he thought. _I can do that._ Dream stood and got closer until Techno’s face rested in the crook of his neck. The pink haired man felt arms around him, familiar. He knew the hold, knew the way the man felt, his skin. Where it was rough and where it was soft. Where it was callussed, and where it was sensitive, and where he liked to be touched and where he didn’t. The smell was familiar too. Soap, and earth, and wood, and something sharp that always reminded Techno of alcohol. But not something cheap and dizzying, something sweeter and more pleasant, like cherry wine. Or maybe something medicinal and chemical, like rubbing alcohol. He stung like rubbing alcohol would. Would he kill his infection? Start at the center, cure his rotted organs, and then take on the rest of his body, fixing everything? And please end with his brain, do it last. So he can remember him. Golden blond surrounded them on the floor, Techno wanted to fall into it, and bring the other man with him. They could lay there forever. 

Did tears fall? How come whenever he starts crying he’s always the last to know. 

His ribcage felt sickly and strange, like the bones were tangled and wrapped up in knots, like the roots of a willow tree. His heart hung in his chest heavily, a fruit whose time it had come to fall. Fall and rot. But that doesn’t make sense, willow trees don’t bear fruit. It must have been something else hanging there. 

His mind crumbled under the other man’s fingertips. “I feel like there are snakes in my chest,” he said, voice muffled by a shoulder. 

“I don’t know what that means.” Dream put a hand in the other man’s hair. 

“Will you help me kill the snakes?” His ribcage twisted again, the willow’s thick branches poking at his sides, their braids of leaves wrapped through his body. 

Tender lips spoke into his temple. “For you, my friend? I would do anything.”

The fruit fell and he cried into Dream’s shoulder. Drank the cherry wine and the rubbing alcohol and fell into the pool of golden blond and the willow tree, and the snakes hiding between its leaves. Tears ran down his face and his world was salty, sharp, and burning hot. 

“Beloved,” Dream whispered in his ear as he fell apart. It had been a while since he said it.

\---

It was a beautiful day in fall. The leaves were orange, red, and yellow- every shade of a flame except the bright blue center, which could be seen in the sky. Leaves coated the soil and crinkled pleasantly when you stepped on them.

“C’mon, Techno, let’s go!” Dream was pulling him by the hand. 

“What- where are we going? Oh, hold on.” He turned off the kitchen sink, where he was washing something. “Wait! Let me at least dry my hands.”

The blond man was impatiently tugging on his arm. “It’s so beautiful out, you’re gonna miss it!” 

“How will I miss it? Will fall disappear in the 30 seconds it takes for me to put on my- oh, stop it, you!” Techno, catching the other man’s playful mood, put Dream in a headlock. “This is what you get for trying to rip my arm off!” He teased with a grin, ruffling up his hair.

“Ahh! Hey! Let me go, you pink bastard!” He wriggled in Techno’s grip, barely moving. 

“Never. This is your life now. Accept it.” Techno watched in amusement as the other man’s muscles loosened in defeat. 

“I simply cannot live like this.” He grumbled, making Techno’s chest rumble with laughter. He let the blond man go. 

“Are we going outside? It’s freezing, can you get me my jacket from my room?” 

“Sure.” Dream disappeared down the hall and reappeared with two coats, both of which were Techno’s. 

“Thanks. Who said you could use one of my jackets? Thief.” 

“Pffft. Well, it's not like you were gonna use both of them. Surely I can borrow one.” 

He pretended to consider it. “I’ll allow it.” 

“Good.” Dream smiled. “Now let’s go! Out the door, c’mon, c’mon.” The blond man walked through the front door and Techno followed him. He stepped into the cold air and swung his coat on, taking a deep breath. It was certainly a lovely day. 

“Where are we going?” 

“Oh, just out. I want to look at all the leaves.” 

They walked to the forest, Dream leading the way, Techno walking half a step behind him. Dream whistled absentmindedly, and the other man listened to the tune. He liked the way it rose and fell, dipped and splashed with short little bursts. It reminded him of the waves.

A spot under a tree was piled high with leaves. Dream ran forward and jumped into them with a _woo!_ He giggled and rolled onto his back. 

“You’re like a puppy dog,” said Techno, looking down at him. 

“You can’t fool me with that condescending tone. I know this looks fun.”

“It looks scratchy.”

“Oh, you’re so prissy!” Still laying down, he tried to reform the pile of leaves a little, gathering them up with his arms and pushing them next to him. “Jump in!”

Techno looked at the measly pile suspiciously. “I’m not jumping into that! That’s the most pathetic leaf pile I've ever seen. I’ll hit the ground.” 

Dream grumbled and made a little effort to get the pile higher. Techno waited patiently with a small smile in his eyes. The blond man kept glancing up at him, dramatically, checking to see if it was adequate. When the pile was about a foot high, he reached behind him to collect more leaves. 

Without warning, Techno whooped and jumped into the heap, going ‘oof’ when the leaves didn’t entirely break his fall. Dream yelped in surprise and then laughed when he saw the other man face-down in a pile of orange and yellow. Techno smiled up at him with a big dopey grin.

“I knew you wanted to do that,” said Dream. “Are you alright?” 

“Yeah, yeah.” He rolled onto his back. Dream layed down. The two of them looked up between the branches of a tree, at what few leaves still clung to the drying wood, and up at the sky behind that. 

“Techno,” Dream said. 

“Yeah?”

“What’s the story of Achilles and Patrocles?”

Techno didn’t know what instigated the question. He didn’t remember their old conversation, his desperate words spewed out before the vicious battle. “Hmm… Achilles and Patrocles. They were warriors, and many believe they were lovers.”

“I know that much.” _The greatest warriors of Ancient Greece, made stronger by their love for one another._ The memory coursed through his head like the rain. 

“Achilles was the son of a sea-nymph and a king. He had divine blood, and was an incredible fighter and leader. He fought in the Trojan War, on the side of the Greeks. His story is told through the Iliad.”

Dream closed his eyes. 

“Patrocles fought alongside him. He was his friend or lover, it isn’t entirely known. Historians argue about it all the time- actually, people used to argue about it even back then, when the Iliad had just been written. Their relationship is blurry, and the truth behind it has been lost to time. But what _is_ known is that they were very close. They had a deep bond.” 

“And they fought together?”

“They fought together.” 

Dream hummed. He could almost picture it. “How does their story end?” 

“I don’t know. I never finished the book.”

They laid there until it got cold. Then they went back to the cabin, and warmed themselves in front of the fire. They laughed and talked with hot chocolate in their hands, and felt at peace in pleasant company.

\---

They were drinking.

Techno’s thoughts got to be too much, he picked up a bottle, and in an hour a lot of it was gone. He was swaying as the night swallowed up the day. Dream found him like that. 

“Why didn’t you call me to come drink with you? You know I wouldn’t mind.” 

“I like to drink alone sometimes. Lets me think.” 

“Well, now that you're drunk, can I have some too?”

“You can have it all. Here.” He thrust the bottle into the blond man’s hands. Dream sipped it appreciatively.

“You like whiskey? It’s always what you drink.” 

“It’s just what we got.” He sat and slapped his thighs, once. 

Dream caught up in no time. They passed it back and forth, taking sips. Techno thought he could taste the other man on the rim of the bottle and his face felt hot. 

He watched Dream’s cheeks start to flush. First it was just a little prickle of blush on his cheeks, then it sunk into a deep rose. His eyes soaked up the sight. 

“Hey Techno, what’s the best thing you’ve ever felt?” 

_You._ “Um, I don’t know.”

“I know. I’ll tell you. There was this girl I knew, and she had the fattest tits. They were like, the kind you can hold in the palm of your hand, ya know? The ones that fit perfectly.”

“Oh man, I know what you’re talkin’ about.” He didn’t.

“Yeah they were so good. With these perky little nipples.” He leaned back and tried to gesture with his hands, sloshing around the whiskey bottle. The sound of the alcohol hitting the glass amplified in Techno’s ears. He tried to make it loud in his head, loud enough to drown out the other man’s words, but he was unsuccessful. 

“Tell me about it.” He said, and leaned forward to take the drink from Dream. He took a sip and held the whiskey in his mouth for a moment, focusing on the sting. 

“They were good. She was good. Tight, man, real tight.” 

“Uh-huh.”

“Wet, too. You ever been with a girl?”

“Yeah.” 

Dream laughed and leaned forward, getting close to Techno’s face. “I know you’re lying.”

His skin felt like it was on fire. “Am not.” 

“Really? Then tell me about it. What was it like? When did it happen?” 

He tried to imagine a lady. He pictured golden blond locks in his hands. _Dream, sprawled out and in love with me. His hands leaving little lines down my back._ “She scratched up my back real good.”

“Go on.” 

_The noises._ “She was loud. I didn’t know ladies got loud like that.”

“Was she a brunette?” 

“No, blond.” 

Dream got close to his ear, a mischievous smile on his lips, something mean in his eyes. It hurt Techno to see him like that. “You put your fingers in her?” 

His heart pounded. “Yeah.” 

“Like this?” Dream took two fingers and dragged them along Techno’s cheek, down his face. “Or like this?” He stroked his neck, right along the pulse, quickly and hard.

“The first one.” His pupils dilated. 

“Hah. Knew you were lying. There’s no way to do it gentle, like that first one.” 

“That was gentle?” Breathless but trying to hide it, he willed himself to calm down. 

“Yeah. You got a little friend, there.” 

Techno looked down at his lap and embarrassment flooded him. “It was all this talk about ladies.” 

“Sure.” 

_He knows. He knows what he’s doing._ Techno brought his knees up to his chest. 

“Hey, for real, tell me what’s the best thing you’ve ever felt. I’m sure there must be _something_.” 

Alcohol moved his mouth. “My dick up your ass.” 

“Ohh??” Dream smiled like the cat who got the cream. “Is that so? You liked that?”

“Yeah, I liked that.” It was a growl. 

“Which time, specifically?” 

“In the fields.” The last time they had taken the potion together. Under the moonlight, the grass swaying around them. 

“You liked that? Wanna go in the fields again?” 

“I wanna go now.” 

Dream grinned, feeling his skin prickle under Techno’s stare. 

They never made it to the fields. Techno felt the heat pool in the bottom of his stomach and his body moved on its own. Everything was red hot, burning, curling, loud and heavy. Dream moaned for more. He wanted it harder and Techno obeyed. He wanted it faster and Techno watched his face tense and flush with pleasure. They fell apart on the floor. 

Drunkenly, they slept naked, wrapped in each other’s arms. The moon let itself in through the open window and painted them in ivory light, highlighting their curves and tones, disappearing in the dips. It was a beautiful painting. The moon agreed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> um.... so... what did you think?
> 
> BY THE WAY!!!
> 
> here my twitter: @not_a_tuna_fish
> 
> I made it specifically for my AO3 account, so I can interact with you guys!! and to announce updates. I will also be talking about writing there, and I will be posting deleted scenes that never made it into a fic. so follow that twitter for exclusive content :) 
> 
> I appreciate you guys <3 I hope you enjoyed this chapter.


	6. The Moon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey folks! sorry for the long wait between chapters. I hope you enjoy <3

It was still night when a scream cut into the air, of anguish and rage. Dream and Techno woke up with a start, still naked and lying on top of each other. The sound of shattering glass was deafeningly loud and they both lept to their feet. In the window, in front of the ivory moon, stood the silhouetted figure of a man. A wind flew in from outside and pushed the curtains, chilling Dream and Techno’s naked bodies. 

“Who’s there?” called Techno, afraid and confused. 

The figure crawled through the open window, his shoulders heaving and movements reckless. Little pieces of glass still stuck on the window frame got knocked to the floor by his arms and legs. He stepped into the cabin and shifted so the moonlight hit his face. 

A furrowed brow and downturned mouth, teeth bared like an animal. His sword was drawn and readied at his side. There, in the darkest part of night, stood Fundy. 

“You,” the fox-man spat. His tone rumbled and cracked with passionate and rage. “YOU!” he said again. 

Neither of the men said anything. Glass crackled under Dream’s feet as he shifted his weight. 

“I come to you,” said the fox, and he raised the tip of his sword, metal glinting in the light. “And I find you not mournful, not pained. I find you free and happy. I find you with tangled legs and lover’s hair.” Foam flecked at the side of his lips and his hand trembled slightly with emotion. Anger poured from his voice in a cascade. 

“Fundy,” said Techno. His voice was firm and clear. “Why are you here?”

“Why am I here? I am here for bloodshed. I never got payment for my dead men, almost a year ago now.”

“A year ago, Fundy,” said Dream. “That’s a long time. Why haven’t you come sooner?” 

He laughed loudly and bitterly. “Well, why don’t I just say it! I was afraid! You slaughtered 47 of my soldiers and injured the rest. You sliced through thick armor with a simple metal sword. That’s too strong, too strong for me.” He smiled although there was no joy in his eyes. “I can’t believe I was such a fool. I cannot believe the names of the great and powerful Dream and the mighty blood god Technoblade every struck fear into my heart. Now I see, as clear as I see the cum dribbling down your leg. There’s nothing to be afraid of here.” 

Dream reached down subconsciously and realized the sticky white that coated the inside of his thighs. Shame bit his skin. “We are still the same men we were a year ago. The same warriors. You won’t win.” _We’re bare and unarmed, and It’s dark. I can’t see anything. There are weapons by the door, Fundy doesn’t know they’re there. If I could just get to them…_

“I was going to kill both of you,” said Fundy, ignoring Dream. “Now I have a better idea. I know how to make you both hurt worse than death. The only concern now is which one do I spare.”

Techno lunged forward to the doorway, his feet cutting and bleeding on the broken glass that coated the floor. His hands scoured the entranceway as they seeked to find a familiar hilt or bow. Fundy moved as well, trying to intercept Techno, and Dream panicked. “No!” he shouted in despair. He felt his arms wrap around the fox-man’s legs and he _pulled_ , hoping the creature would lose his balance. To no avail, Fundy simply raised his sword and moved to bring it down onto Dream’s back, between the shoulder blades, right into his quick-beating heart. Dream squeezed his eyes shut, preparing himself for the squelching noise of torn flesh and split blood. 

Techno’s fingers found the hilt of a sword and he drew it in an instant. Dream heard the clang of metal on metal as the weapon that would have plunged into him was stopped by the other man. A grunt and a pained cry above him, from who he couldn’t tell. He got up and turned on the lights. 

The rest of the battle he remembered less, even though he could see more. He knew he found a sword and fought next to Techno. Fundy drove his weapon forward into the tender parts of Techno’s crotch and the man screamed in bitter agony. “PERVERT!” Fundy yelled as he did it. Techno dropped his weapon and buckled forward in pain, although the wound wasn’t fatal. Immensely painful and cruel, but not enough to kill. Fundy knew this. He did it on purpose. He pulled back on his strike at the last second so that Techno would live. 

He wanted Techno to live. 

_So that I can do THIS,_ thought the fox-man viciously, in grief and passion and pain, as he locked eyes with Dream.

The moment spread out into a hundred. Fundy’s sword moved towards him. The moon gleamed on the weapon as it split through skin, through his veins, through the flesh, struck bone. Crimson burst from his chest as his hands flew to the wound, frantic and terrified. The red seeped from the stab and poured onto his hands, wet and warm, and splattered on his face, speckling like his freckles- only a strange and unfamiliar pattern. The stars seemed to pulse in the sky as his breathing fluttered. Fundy withdrew the sword. _This is wrong._ He thought, as he collapsed to his knees. _All wrong, this should be inside._ He stared down at his wet hands, at blood that fled his body in a wave. _Yes… this should be inside._ As he fell forward he thought he heard Techno’s voice. His face hit the wooden floor and he remembered when that same cheek was pressed up against a willow tree, a lover behind him, the leaves above him. He closed his eyes. 

Techno killed Fundy. The fox-man was trying to flee, out the window, having done what he came here to do. Techno caught him before he could get out and dragged him back inside. He thought he heard the sound of a stray dog howling as the life faded from the fox’s eyes. Techno dropped Fundy and knelt beside Dream. 

“No… No…” he rolled the man over and saw his chest was still heaving, still clinging to life, although the inhales were wet and the exhales were strained. 

Techno moved fast, leapt to his feet. He dove into the potion's chest and pressed healing ones to Dream’s lips. Drink, he instructed, and the blond man did his best. He didn’t know what it was, he was delirious and fading from consciousness, but he knew Techno’s hands and so he trusted the liquid that poured down his throat. The red of the potion flowed into him as the red of his blood flowed out. His vision prickled crimson at the edges. For a minute there was only red. It was all he knew. Then, he felt a cloth pressed to his midsection as Techno tried to staunch the bleeding. Less red, now, as the blood trickling out of his body slowed down. But was it too late? The black spots in his eyes tried to tell him that it was. But a pink haired man crouched above him was telling him that it wasn’t, it was okay, he’d be okay, just hold on. Hold on, hold on, hold on, as he stitched up the wound and wrapped it tightly with gauze. Hold on, hold on, as he held him in his arms and prayed. 

Techno kissed his forehead, slicked with sweat. “My beloved,” he whispered into his ear, a painful plea. It was the last word Dream heard before darkness overtook him.

\---

Technoblade sat by his bedside and waited. He gave him water and kept him warm as the thick of winter swallowed them up. Dream was asleep for three days, and bedridden for a month. When he finally sought to stand, Techno was by his side to support him, and catch him if he fell.

\---

They’re together in the living room, drinking hot soup and talking by the fireplace. The soup is good, it’s one of Techno’s recipes, and it’s familiar to Dream because the other man has made it so many times. Sips of hot broth warm his chest and make him want to smile.

But there’s an elephant in the room. Dream addresses it. 

“So…” he begins, “Fundy is dead now.” 

Techno’s hand freezes for a second, his mug halfway to his lips. “Yes.” 

“I no longer have any enemies. I can return to L’Manberg.” 

Techno feels despair bloom in the pit of his stomach. “You could." His gut twists. The year spins past his head in a blur of memories. _Dream scowling, fighting, tending to my wound. A potion and a dark night alone in a cave with not even the stars to witness. The way the snow melted off the earth, and his face melted in my gaze. Spring and the fields. The grass grew tall and matched his eyes. We drank and loved again and again until we stopped and then we did it some more anyways. The way my body feels when he surrounds me. Our tangled legs and soft lips in the heat and sweat of summer. Fall and his hands touching me. I know where they are callused and rough. I know where it is smooth and sensitive. I know his body and his brain, so familiar to me it’s like it was my own. And now I must let all of that leave._

“I miss everybody! I can’t wait to see them all again. George, and Sapnap, and everybody!” Dream grinned at the happy memories of his home and friends, although it didn’t feel quite right. Techno’s heart sunk deeper into the depths of his chest and his vision almost blurred with bitterness when he remembered George. A picture of the brunette putting a hand on his man’s shoulder made him want to curl up and rot. Techno wanted to curse that man’s name and storm out of the room. 

“Yeah,” he said instead. Who was he to deny happiness to his beloved. 

“Will you come too?” 

“I’m still in exile. I guess I have more enemies than you.” 

“Oh, I suppose you do.” He took another sip of his drink. 

“How do you feel about George? Was he your lover?” 

Dream blushed at the sudden question. “I don’t know…” he responded, noncommittally.

Techno’s voice dropped. It was lower and more gravelly, more tender now. “If he was, I bet he couldn’t touch you like I could. I know exactly what makes you feel good, how to do it, where it is.” The words sounded explicit and bold- but the way he said it wasn’t, hiding behind a sip of his mug, turning his head to the side. 

Dream felt his cheeks burn up, flushing a deep red. “Is that so?” he asked, not sure what else to say.

“Yeah…” Techno’s hand moved toward him, and reached around him. “You… you liked it here.” He touched a spot on Dream’s back, low, at the very bottom of his spine. “On the inside.” His voice was scratchy. Techno looked up at Dream. 

They held each other’s gaze. The bitterness in Techno’s eyes had become a melancholy sadness. 

“Down there?” Dream asked. He touched Techno’s hand, still on his back, gently ran his fingers over the other man’s. 

“Yeah. You thought that it was too tight and it burned around the center. But you also told me not to stop.”

“Be quiet,” he said, but his voice was weak.

“And here too, you liked it when I held you here. He put a palm to the front of his stomach, where the uterus would be if he was a girl. “You said it made you feel warm.”

Dream was silent. 

“And your dick. You like it when I do the underside. It makes you throw your head back.”

He closed his eyes in memory.

“And you too… you know where it makes me feel good. Remember being inside me? Do you remember which parts I liked?” Techno was so tentative.

Dream, quietly. “You liked it when I grabbed you.” 

“Where,” he whispered.

“Everywhere. Your shoulders and your torso and your hair. You liked it when I held down your jaw to the floor and got deep in you.” 

Techno took a deep breath. “Yeah. I think I did. Do you want that now?”

“You are… offering yourself to me?” 

“I am. Not that I need to- you already have me, anyways.”

“What does that mean?” 

“It means it’s yours. I’m yours. Take me.” 

“Techno. I don’t know what to say.” 

“Say nothing. Take me. I want to be all you know, till distance do we part.” He set their mugs aside and took off his jacket. 

“Are you in love with me?”

Techno stopped. “...Are you not?”

Dream tensed beneath him. 

“How can you not be in love with me? Don’t you know that we’ve been doing nothing but loving each other for the past year!?” The sunlight fell in through the window and struck his face. He looked like a monolith, crouched above Dream. “We have spent all our time together! We have laughed and talked and kissed and loved! We have nursed each other back to health. You love me!” 

“I don’t.” 

“YOU ARE LYING!”

Dream shoved him off, with less force than he wanted. His wound was still healing. “I don’t know what to tell you. I don’t love you.”

“That can’t be true, it can’t.” His voice broke. 

“How could I love you? You’re a filthy fucking pervert, Technoblade.” The words were harsh and untrue but he said them anyways. 

“No…”

“It’s true, you are. And as soon as I’m better I’m getting out of here. I’m going back to my friends and family. I’m gonna find a nice girl and I’m gonna fuck her instead. Like I’m supposed to do. Like I _want_ to do.”

Techno put his face in his hands.

“And when she’s face down I’m not gonna think about you. I won’t think about your long pink hair or the way my hands get all knotted up in it. I won’t think about your body when I’m deep into hers.” 

“You’re cruel.” 

“And when she laughs I won’t remember yours. Even though I like yours. I like the way it rumbles.” Dream was crying. “I won’t remember holding you in your nightmares or kissing you in the cave. Your sleeping frame beside me won’t compare to hers.” He was sobbing. “Your warmth won’t be as warm as hers. I won’t miss you. I won’t miss you.” 

Techno pulled his hands away from his face. He saw the tears and moved forward to hold him in his arms. 

“I won’t miss you,” Dream bawled into his shoulder. The stab in the middle of his chest ached with each heaving breath. Techno tried to hold him tightly so that he wouldn’t shake too hard. Dream made little noises of hurt between breathless crying and hiccups. 

“Stop shaking. You are going to tear open your stitches.”

“How can I stop…” He gasped in pain and touched Techno’s collarbone, instinctively. 

He opened his mouth and the words fell out. “You touched my collarbone like you-” he cut himself off, weary of making Dream shake worse. _Like you do when we join._

“And you’re holding me the same way.” Dream stopped, choked by a sob. _The same way as when we loved._

They didn’t finish their words. Instead, Techno kissed Dream. Right on the bottom lip, he placed his lips there and held them, barely moving, eyes squeezed shut. Dream breathed and Techno could feel it on his face, a hot thing that reminded him of summer. He could taste salt from the tears. When he pulled away the shaking had stopped. 

“Stay,” said Techno. 

“I don’t want to.” 

“Why? Tell me the truth.” 

“I’m scared to.” 

“Why? Why? There’s nothing to be afraid of. It’s just me.” 

“I don’t like the way I feel about you. It scares me. It’s too intense, it’s like nothing I’ve ever felt before. I don’t want it.”

“You don’t want it?”

“I can’t take it.”

“...”

“The way I feel about you isn’t a way I thought people could feel. I didn’t know this was possible. I still don’t think it is.”

“How? Tell me how you feel.”

“You are the sun and I’m the earth. It’s cold without you. Cold and dead.” 

“Go on,” Techno whispered, holding him desperately.

“You are the rain that waters my crops. I depend on you. I’ll starve in a drought.” 

“Then… then why would you want to leave me?”

“Because that’s terrifying! You terrify me,” he said, within the other’s arms. “I love you.”

They stayed there for a moment, neither breathing. Then Dream stood, Techno trying to help him get to his feet. “Where are you going?” 

Dream didn’t answer him, just walked outside. Techno grabbed a coat from the doorway and threw it on Dream’s shoulders as he followed him. The frigid air bit them and the snow numbed their bare feet. 

Dream looked up into the sky, tears on his face, eyes seeking but not unsure. He spread out his arms like he was unraveling from the inside out. “I LOVE HIM!” He screamed at the sun. His throat was raw from the volume. “I love him! I love him! I love technoblade!” He wanted everything to hear it. Every frost covered flower, every tree, every patch of snow frozen on the ground and every delicate leaf falling down from the sky. The birds, the animals, the cabin, the fields. He imagined that the wind would carry his voice everywhere, and whisper his words into the ears of anybody who would listen. And they would all know the words were his. He wanted them to know. Dream loved him. 

Techno stood beside him. “I love Dream!” he shouted. His hand found the other man’s. They clasped each other like the way the waves clutch the shore. Although it was freezing, Dream felt warm. 

They were gonna be okay. 

He would stay.


	7. An Ending

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s finally here, folks! The final chapter. 
> 
> Thank you for reading all the way to the end! This chapter is an epilogue and is a little shorter, but only because I feel like I’ve said everything that needs to be said. I know there was kind of a wait between this one and the last (i randomly got obsessed with adventure time ???) so much kudos to you if you stuck around, lol. 
> 
> Your support has meant a lot to me. All of those lovely and genuine comments just put a huge smile on my face, like you have no idea. There’s a fair chance I would not have finished this fic if it weren’t for all the encouragement and general positive responses, so thank you for that. <3
> 
> Alright alright, enough blabbering! You can find me on twitter at @not_a_tuna_fish . I will be talking about this fic and my upcoming projects there (ooooh), so go follow if you wanna join the discussion! (optional of course, lol)
> 
> Now, without further ado,
> 
> I hope you enjoy. :)

**Four years later.**

It’s Christmas. 

“Hey, Tommy, put that down!” Techno berates, plucking a wooden spoon out of the younger boy’s hands. He had been snacking on whatever it was Techno was making. “Wait until dinner. It’s almost ready.” The smell of nutmeg and rosemary wafts from the kitchen. The air is warm as Techno shakes his head at the younger boy. 

“Oh, you’re such a prude Technoblade,” says Tommy, fake pouting. “I only wanted a taste! Just a little taste! I’m sooooo hungry.” His dramatic cries are ignored as Techno stirs something in a pot, the aroma wafting up and promising a good meal. 

“Go bother Philza,” says Techno, but there’s nothing mean in his voice. 

“I actually will not be doing that. I will be bothering, Tubbo, instead. And we will be plotting to steal whatever it is you’re making.” 

“It’s beef stew- and if you try that I will unleash my full warrior strength on you.” Techno pulls a clean spoon out of a drawer and lightly smacks Tommy with it.

“Ow! Ow! Hey!” The boy tries to catch the spoon and fails, Techno smacking him with it on the nose. 

“Vacate my kitchen! You little-” The oven starts beeping. “Ooh the cornbread is ready.” 

Tommy snorts. “You’re such a girl.” 

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” He wipes his hands on a towel. 

Dream walks into the kitchen. “How’s it going in here?” There is something light in his eyes, something happy. It has been there for a while now. 

“You’re stupid husband is being mean to me.” Says Tommy, sneaking a piece of carrot from behind Techno’s back. 

“I saw that,” said the pink-haired man. Tommy cringes, and Dream laughs at him. “And I am not stupid!” 

“You’re a little stupid,” says Dream. 

Techno scoffs in mock offense as Tommy delights. “Oh!” says the boy, “You see! You see! He sides with me. You’re stupid.” 

“Don’t push it, kiddo.” Says Dream. 

“I’m 20 years old.” 

“You still act like a kid.”

“Just because I know to have fun does NOT mean-” 

“Alright! Alright!” Techno says. “Everybody out of my kitchen! Husband and child included. Go on, shoo! Shoo!” He waves them out into the living room with a towel while they both grumble. 

“How rude!” says Tommy.

“I should get rid of him,” says Dream. 

“You should!” 

Tubbo is trying to string the lights up on the Christmas tree. They gleam red, green, blue, yellow, pink and gold, and are partially wrapped around dark green branches of a fir. “Who are we getting rid of?” he asks. 

“Technoblade,” says Tommy, moving to help Tubbo with the lights. “He is the least valued member of this family. Therefore we are getting rid of him.” 

“I can still hear you!” yells Techno from the kitchen. Tubbo and Tommy laugh, the same way as they did when they were kids. 

“Hey, are you all coming to Philza’s place next week?” Tubbo peaks his head from around the tree, asking Dream. “I mean like, to stay over for a few days.” 

“If we are welcome,” he replies, carefully. He takes a seat on the couch near the tree. 

“Don’t be silly. You are always welcome.” Tommy hands Tubbo the lights, which are all knotted from his chaotic tree-decorating techniques. The brunette scoffs as he starts to untangle them. 

“Thanks, Tommy. For inviting me to somebody else’s house,” Dream teases. 

“I live there too! And you’re welcome.”

“Speaking of, where is Philza?” Tubbo asks. 

“Went to go have a lie down,” says Tommy. “He’s in the spare room.” 

“Someone should go check on him.” Dream stands and walks into the kitchen. “De- Techno, will you go check on Philza? I’ll watch the food while you do.” 

“Sure,” he puts down a whisk and says the next part more quietly. “And you know you can call me dear in front of Tubbo and Tommy. I’m sure they don’t mind.”

Dream sighed. “I’m sure you’re right. But I am not going to.” 

Techno put his hands up in mock defense. “That’s alright by me. You could call me dumbass and I’d still greet you with a kiss and a smile.” 

Dream snorted. “Okay dumbass. Now go check on your father.” 

“Right away, my lady.” 

Dream smacks playfully him on his way out the door. He lets out a little ‘ooh!’ before disappearing down the hallway. Dream can hear Tubbo and Tommy’s muffled snickering as Techno ducks into the spare room. 

He was surprised when he didn’t find Philza there. He exits, turns, and knocks lightly on his own door. “Dad?” he says. No response. He goes in. 

The room is littered with both his and Dream’s things, their clothes mixed on the floor, their belongings crowding the desk. Philza is sitting on the edge of the bed, holding a photo in his hands. It is a few years old, one that Techno took, of Dream sitting in the summer fields. He is shirtless but the angle of the photo almost completely covers him. Dream is looking off to the side, clearly unaware of his photo being taken. His eyes match the colors of tall grass. They look happy. 

Philza starts when he sees Techno come in. He puts the photo face down on the nightstand next to him. 

“Dad?” Techno says again, voice soft. “What are you doing?” 

“I was just looking at your room, my son.” He won’t meet Techno’s eyes. It looks like there is something he wants to say. 

“That’s alright. You can look if you want to.” 

“Thank you. I feel as though I missed so much of your life. You are hardly the boy I abandoned here so long ago.”

Techno sat next to him, suddenly serious. “You didn’t abandon me, Philza, L’Manberg did. They are the ones who exiled me, not you.” 

His voice is weary. “Still, I can’t help but feel guilty. You are my child, and I always wonder if there is more I could have done.” 

“You did plenty! You fought for me.” He pauses. “And besides, it wasn’t all bad…” His eyes automatically turn to the photo on the nightstand, even though it is turned down. Philza’s do, too. 

The older man takes a deep breath. “Son,” he begins, and the word comes out with great effort. He grabs Techno’s hand and tries to look at him, but can’t. “There is something that is bothering me.”

“What is it?” 

“How do you know if what you feel for that man is real?” 

Techno hesitates. His father knew about the potions. He was the only one who knew. “What do you mean by real?” he asks, although he thinks he knows the answer. 

“How do you know if what you feel for that man is not just a lingering effect of the potion? How do you know it’s really love?” Philza winced, looking regretful at his words, although that was what he was truly thinking. 

“...”

“My son, I’m sorry if I’ve upset you.” 

Techno looks down at the silver band wrapped around his father’s ring finger. It’s a wedding ring, from a good and sturdy love, although it’s old and worn now. “I don’t know.” His own hand bears no ring, but there is a scar on his knuckle where his hand grazed broken glass, in a frantic rush to save his lover from a fox-man’s sharpened blade. He figures it is the same thing. 

“But, doesn’t that bother you? You’ll never know if it’s real or not.” 

“It’s true that I don’t know where it came from. It’s a mystery, one that is big and beautiful and strange, that can maybe be reduced down to a few chemical equations and some basic biology.” He ran his thumb over his father’s wedding ring. “But that’s what real love is, too.” 

Philza said nothing, but he watched the man’s jaw tighten. 

“I don’t know how it happened, Philza, or where it came from, but I love him. I love him so much that it doesn’t matter where it came from. It is real. This is love.” He pulled his hand away from the ring. “I know this is love.” 

Philza took a deep breath and picked up the picture on the nightstand table again. They both looked at it. Techno’s eyes held something indescribable. 

“You are happy with him?” Philza asked.

He watched the photo. He could almost see the season’s changing, spiraling from summer, melting into fall and to winter, and blooming into spring again. And in the center of it all, Dream. “I am.”

“Good,” said Philza. “I guess that’s really what matters.” 

They sat in silence for a while, comfortably. Their moment was interrupted by the smell of smoke. 

Philza sniffed the air. “Is that…?” 

“Yep. That’s- that’s my beloved. He is burning something in the kitchen.” 

Philza spoke through laughter: “You better go out there and help him before Christmas dinner becomes a pile of ashes.”

Techno stood up, sighing and shaking his head, a fond smile on his lips. “What a disgrace. I ask him to watch the kitchen for five minutes, five minutes!” 

“There is nothing burning!” Dream shouts down the hall. They can faintly hear the sounds of Tommy’s roaring laughter and Tubbo trying to be helpful. 

Techno is about to walk out the door. “Wait, son,” Philza says just before his son leaves the room. He stands. 

“Yes, dad?” 

“I will make you rings. Which one is the girl?”

Techno laughs, warmed by the genuinity in his voice. “We’re both men, dad.” 

“Ah, right.” He looks a little sheepish. “Two male rings it is.” 

“TECHNO YOUR MAN IS GOING TO BURN THE HOUSE DOWN IF YOU DO NOT GET IN HERE!” Tubbo shouts amongst cries of laughter. 

Techno disappears down the hall, loudly teasing Dream. Philza hangs in the room a little longer. 

He has the photo in his hands. He feels the wooden backing of the frame and his fingers catch on a small piece of paper, tucked into the space behind the photo. He pulls it out, mentally scolding himself for snooping, but doing it anyways. 

It is worn, has been there for a while. He unfolds it. There is something written in Technoblade’s handwriting, and Philza reads it.

_You are the seasons,_

_They change and they don’t change. They are always moving, as the leaves grow and thrive and die and fall. But I do not miss summer when it fades to brown and gold, because I know it will come again. They will repeat until the sun swallows up the world in a fit of flames, but they stop and start with the turning of the months. You are unending, like them. And you are so brief, like them._

_I only wish I could hold you in my arms an hour longer than I have._

Philza stares at the words, reads them again. He turns over the paper, and there is something written there on the back. It is in a handwriting much more unfamiliar to him; it is Dream’s. 

_My dear,_

_I love you, too._

\---

Techno manages to rescue dinner. They have a good meal, there is talking and laughter and jokes, and it goes late into the night. There is hot chocolate, too, and marshmallows that Philza brought. Sitting in the living room, the lights of the Christmas tree blink down at them and the words flow easily. Nobody feels the need to fill the silences. Tubbo and Tommy are debating something, about a movie they both like. It's peaceful.

Philza speaks, softly. “The place looks nice. Is Dream the one who chose that decoration?” He is referring to a painting above the doorway that wasn’t there the last time he visited. 

“Yes, sir, that one was me,” says Dream, a little shyly. He bought it off of Nihachu the last time they were in L’Manberg, traded it for a piece of gold. 

“It’s nice. You have good taste.” _I accept you,_ his words say. 

“Thank you,” Dream says simply. He understood. 

The night grows late. Philza, Tubbo, and Tommy leave to go back to their home, with warm goodbyes and grateful words. Dream and Techno will see them tomorrow, when they ride into town. They are going to be opening presents at Philza’s in the morning. The two of them stand in the doorway, shivering, until the last of their family has ridden out of sight. 

It’s just them, now. Tired but happy, they go to their bedroom. 

Techno’s face is relaxed, he is drunk on sweet chocolate and good company. The lights are turned off. Dream lays on top of him. 

The winter night is beautiful outside. There is a thin layer of white snow on the ground, and as the pale moonlight touches it, it seems to glow. Techno can see it from the gap where the curtain doesn’t quite cover the window. 

They fall asleep together.

(they are dreaming)

 _Beloved,_ calls a bright voice that seems to fractal and spiral with every syllable. _Be-Lov-ed._ It is Dream. He is asking for him, calling for him.

 _My dear,_ Techno answers him. 

_Where are you?_ The voice is seeking. It wants him. 

_I’m here, I’m here, I’m always here._ If he could move his arms he would spread them out in welcoming, but sleep keeps them pinned close to his sides. The world is distorted and blurry, as if through water at the bottom of a pool. He cannot see anything clearly. 

_Ah, there you are._ Dream falls into him. Suddenly Techno is no longer blind, his vision filled with golden blond hair and green eyes. He finds he can move his arms and he does, wrapping them around his companion. A mouth kisses his and he knows who it belongs to. 

_Hello,_ Techno says. Dream spares a greeting and meets him with his tongue and hands. _I’m glad you’re here._

 _I need no words,_ says Dream, and he holds the other man like he is made of precious jewels. _There are no words._

_You’re my beginning and end._ Techno said it. The man feels fingers caress his back and he is naked, suddenly, his clothes dripping away from him like they were never solid to begin with. 

_You…_

He can feel something in his hands. He looks down to where his fingers have intertwined with Dream’s. They are wearing wedding bands. They know they are for each other, and they do not think it looks strange. 

_I will treasure our years together,_ says Technoblade. 

_Not enough time,_ says Dream.

 _We have a whole life!_

_I wish for more._

In their sleep, still, they see themselves among the stars. They look down at the whole earth, and Techno knows where his cabin is, even though it is too small to be visible. All the green and blue of the universe hangs far below their feet. They are not bothered by the distance. The stars swim above their heads in pearly white lights, fixtures that are sunk deeply into the black sky. Dream tries to touch them and Techno helps him, moving him closer to the bright heavenly bodies. The blond man reaches his hand out, but it evades him. 

_Not yet, I guess,_ says Technoblade. 

_No, not yet._

_Will we come back here?_ asks Techno. He is not sure who he is asking. 

_You want to know if we will ever be among the stars?_ Dream turns to him. _I already am. You are the stars._

Techno kisses him, again and again. _Beloved,_ he says. 

Dream’s skin catches fire with every press of his lips. _Beloved,_ he says back. The words echo out. Everything can hear it. 

_Beloved,_ it all answers.

\---

They are happy.


End file.
